


Let Sleeping Beasts Lie

by alphatoothless



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: A!RF, Alpha Courting, Alpha!Dipper Gleeful, Alpha/Beta, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls, Demon Interactions, Experimentation, Grotesque creatures, M/M, Magic, Marking, Mating, Mention of deer blood, Mentions of childhood abandonment, Mysteries, Omega!Will Cipher, Scenting, Slow Burn, Supernatural occurrences, Tent of Telepathy, The Mindscape, Ursidae Falls, blood mention, slight jealousy, tags will be updated with updates, updates weekly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-10 03:03:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 68,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10427712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphatoothless/pseuds/alphatoothless
Summary: The old tale goes that there is a town in the middle of the forest with mystical secrets beyond human imagination. It is said that Ursidae Falls is filled with magical beasts and magicians, of black magic and unusual happenstances. When William Cipher, an average omega from a rundown city, is promised to an Alpha in the mysterious town, he finds himself experiencing more than just the simple complications of falling in love.





	1. The Mediocre Omega

William Cipher was _exactly_ what you'd expect from a male Omega. He could _easily_ be described as an alpha with a smaller muscular structure (just enough to be almost _feminine_ ), with soft eyes and a weak attitude. He had soft blue hair, similar to the pastel-colored hair some Omegas sported, with bright blue irises to match. He had fangs, although tiny, which was fairly uncommon in Omegas but definitely not unheard of. He was also of average height and average weight. Overall, William Cipher was really nothing more than a mediocre Omega among the smaller population of the subspecies.  
  
He was born into a poor family, but a family who loved him nonetheless. His mother was mostly a stay-at-home Beta, sometimes working as a part-time elementary school teacher, and his father was an Alpha male car mechanic. His mother was a dark-haired woman with a warm smile and soft voice. His father was a stocky man with hard eyes but a kind demeanor. He looked nothing like his parents, but he was told most Omegas born to Alpha and Beta parents often looked nothing like their parents. He didn't mind it in the slightest.  
  
Growing up wasn't particularly hard or arduous, as his family always provided him with a hot meal and a warm place to stay, always offering love and support whenever they could. For the most part, the young Omega lived carefree and naive. It wasn't until he was 13 that they were finally forced to introduce him to the fact that his future was completely different than the one he'd imagined for himself.  
  
Will remembered the day his parents had called him home from his scavenging in the small, shabby neighborhood park. He had been trying to study a (strangely fluffy?) caterpillar on the rusty swing set when his mom's voice rang through the cacophony of passing cars and blaring horns.   
  
"I'll be b-back for you later." He whispered to the caterpillar before quickly jumping from his crouch to start running home.   
  
_Ah, yes_ , that was another _sad_ thing about the _unfortunate_ male Omega. Will had a speech impediment that his family had tried their absolute best to fix since he spoke his first words. Even a speech therapist at his rundown school had worked relentlessly with him, but after years of practice and training, he'd only improved to a point where he could get most of the sentence out while only stuttering over a few words. Will never saw it as a problem because his parents told him they didn't love him any less for it.  
  
"Will, love, sit down."  
  
His mother had smiled warmly at him, but he could feel the strain between his parents. The air was uncomfortably tense and he could see his father frown slightly at his mother before turning to him with sympathetic eyes.  
  
"W-What's wrong?"  
  
"Will, you know we love you so much."  
  
Will tilted his head slightly as he scooted further back against the plushy couch. It was worn and had some small rips in it, but it was comfortable all the same. It had been there his whole life, and he found it oddly comforting while waiting for the tense air to fade. He could smell the bitter undertone in his parents' scents as waited patiently for them to continue.   
  
"Will, do you remember what happened to that Omega down the street all those years ago?"  
  
"Yeah, she left t-to go to a boarding school."  
  
His father's frown only seemed to grow with his answer and it managed to make him feel a little anxious.  
  
"Well, not exactly." He watched his father sigh. "Son, there's something we haven't told you."  
  
He fiddled with a loose string on his jeans. That bitter undertone was growing worse and it was starting to reflect in his own scent.   
  
"Will, Omegas are...they're seen as different in society."  
  
"Different?"   
  
"They're...well, sometimes they're sold to Alphas as...companions."   
  
Will's eyebrows had furrowed as confusion began building inside him. His chest had started to feel weird, like he was sick, but he continued to try and understand what his parents were trying to tell him.  
  
"B-But _I'm_ an Omega and _I_ haven't been sold as a companion to an Alpha."   
  
He watched his mother's smile fade. His father rested a hand on his shoulder. Breathing suddenly became really difficult.  
  
_"I'm so sorry."_  
  
It had hit him harder than anything he'd ever experienced in his life.  
  
He'd been promised to an Alpha in Oregon. He knew his parents had no choice. Food had been harder and harder to come by the older he got. Even _worse_ , they wanted him to have a better life than any Alpha in their city could give him. He knew that if he stayed, he'd be no better than the damaged Omegas being used as sex slaves on the street his family told him to never go down. He wasn't stupid, he knew Omegas weren't seen as equals in society. Even in his schools, where everyone was practically the same, Omegas were treated differently. The only reason he'd had the blessing of remaining free from harassment was because everyone knew his father was someone to be feared.   
  
The upside of it was that he wasn't going to meet his Alpha until he was 18, which gave him plenty of time to cope with his dark future and do some research. The downside was that it would weigh on him heavily for the next five years of his life. He couldn't harbor crushes or fall in love because constantly, in the back of his mind, that imaginary mental shackle weighed on his heart. He belonged to someone, and therefore, he couldn't even _think_ about looking at anyone else.   
  
He'd come to learn some things about his alpha throughout those years, though. He knew the boy was his age (a truly comforting fact when he read that some Omegas were sold to Alphas twice their age) and that he was incredibly intelligent. When he was 15, his parents had shared a letter with him talking about his Alpha from his future great-uncle, saying the boy had an affinity for books and scientific research. His family had offered him the full file on the Alpha when he turned 17. He'd held the crisp photo in his hand for an hour after his parents had long gone to bed. The Alpha was incredibly handsome, there was no doubt about that, but something stirred in him when he met the eyes of the photo. The boy looked unamused with whoever took the photo, but even more than that he just looked... _intimidating_. He didn't know if it was just because he was already harboring fear for the Alpha, but he was fairly certain the boy would be just as terrifying in person as well. He'd kept the photo with him everywhere he went, as a reminder than this was his Alpha. He tried to fantasize about the Alpha to make him seem less terrifying, making scenarios that the Alpha was actually really sweet and a helpless romantic. That the Alpha would love snuggling as much as he wanted it and that the Alpha was kinder than even his father.  
  
The day of his 18th birthday, Will had started packing to leave his home. It didn't take an incredibly long time, because he didn't own a lot of things, but it just meant that each item had a lot more significance to him. He folded his faded shirts and worn jeans into the battered suitcase as his mother helped him sort through his other belongings. His father was at work; he'd been working more lately. Will was beginning to suspect it was because he couldn't stand seeing his son pack everything and leave them behind. The trip to the grimy bus station was filled with heavy silence and thick emotions between his mom and him.  
  
"And try to call whenever you can, if he lets you. If he hurts you, you go straight to the police, okay? Omegas may not have a lot of support but you still have rights. If you're scared to go to the police, you can go to an Omega care facility. There's one not too far from the address of the Alpha's home."  
  
"I-I know, mom."  
  
"And if anything goes wrong, I put some money in your suitcase. You can take a bus straight home and we'll figure something out here."  
  
"Thank you, m-mom."   
  
"Your father wishes he could be here to see you off but he's been so busy with work. But he loves you, we both love you so much."  
  
"I l-love you, too."   
  
He smiled weakly at his mother, watching tears slide down her cheeks freely as she embraced him in a comforting hug. He'd researched it after several years of anxiety on chatrooms and forums of Omegas who had snuck their ways onto the Internet when their Alphas weren't around and he had a very good feeling he'd never see his family again. That's what normally happened to Omegas who were sold. He hoped Mason would be different, but he wasn't going to keep his hopes up if he ended up having his laptop and phone confiscated the moment he got to the small town. He hugged his mom tightly, feeling tears slide down his own cheeks as he nuzzled into her neck. Her scent was so warm and soothing. He honestly didn't know what he would do without that scent that had always been there to comfort him.   
  
"Stay safe, love. Please, _please_ try to keep in touch if he lets you."  
  
"I-I promise." He smiled through the tears as the bus hissed alive. He turned to see the doors squeak as they opened, greeted by a bus driver looking lazily over at him. He chanced another glance at his mom before climbing onto the creaking metallic steps.   
  
The bus driver glanced between his ID and his ticket before looking at him and nodding toward the back. He took the items back in this hand and shifted the backpack over his shoulders. There were a few Alphas who glanced at him, but they didn't pay him much mind. Everyone knew an unclaimed Omega was a promised one. Hurting them would be a hefty felony charge on their records, as well as a possible challenge with a wealthy Alpha family, so most Alphas often kept to themselves.   
  
He was thankful no one was sitting next to him. He plopped his backpack on the open seat and slid to the window, looking for his mother. She waved at him through the tinted glass and he returned the gesture as the bus groaned and reluctantly creeped forward. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and eyes when his mom eventually disappeared from view. The heavy feeling in his chest grew as the weight of his new life nearly crushed him mentally.   
  
It took four hours for them to arrive in Ursidae Falls, Oregon. He thought it was a strange name for a town, especially a small one. Then again, he knew nothing about Oregon beyond the small research he'd recently done on the city. It was small, almost hodunk-like, with an even smaller population. It was mostly sunny from what he'd read and in the winter, it snowed. He decided one of his goals to keep him happy and hopeful was to play in the snow for the first time when the opportunity came.  
  
He stared at the dimly lit sign on the side of the road that glared back at him. The lights glowed menacingly against the dark forest and he felt his heart tighten in fear. The sign was missing letters, which seemed to only add to the chill that was running up his spine.   
  
**_Welcom_ to Ursidae Falls!_**  
_Hom_ of the _olden B_ar and the Tent o_ Telepathy!_  
  
He grimaced. 

 


	2. The Mysterious Alpha

Dipper Gleeful was  _everything_  that  _everyone_  wanted and hoped for in an Alpha. He was tall, lean yet muscular with the alpha-signature broad chest, and he was attractively mysterious. He had dark brown curly hair and cold blue eyes that seemed more intimidating that comforting when they rested on someone for too long. He rarely smiled, but some were greeted with sharp fangs whenever the Alpha was enraged enough to bare his teeth. He often looked darkly thoughtful and if people weren't pining after him, they were cowering. His very presence screamed dominance without him ever saying a word and it made him the  _perfect Alpha_. 

He was born into a traditionally wealthy family of purebred Alphas and Omegas. Betas were often discarded or removed from the family line, often never to be heard of again. His father was an Alpha male who spent most of his time working than at home and his mother was an Omega who he'd rarely seen since he was a pup. He had a twin sister, who shared many of the physical traits that he had, but she was significantly more outspoken and open about her opinions of others.

 

He was a purebred Alpha male, having the purest and strongest mix of genetics that were highly favorable for dominance and leadership. His sister was also an Alpha, which was truly a pleasant surprise in itself. Twins were often found to be opposites, of an Alpha and Omega, or even an Omega and a Beta, but two Alphas were very rare and _highly_ favored. As if it weren't amazing in itself, Dipper was nicknamed after the incredible constellation that rested on his forehead since he was born. It was considered a godly miracle, a representation of the twins' true beauty. They were the miracle twins and many of the townspeople saw them as mystical celebrities. Some even revered them as gods. 

 

They grew up relatively calmly, having been raised by nannies and servants who worked for their family throughout the years in place of their parents. Dipper was quiet and contemplative, always analyzing his environment in a collect manner. He was very much like his great-uncle Stanford, always watching and taking mental notes about his environment before making any rash decisions. His twin sister, Mabel, spoke before acting like their great-uncle Stanley, often forcing Dipper to serve as a mediator of sorts between his twin and whoever the female Alpha decided to pick a fight against. Their great-uncles served as mentors of sorts when the older men had moved back to Ursidae Falls from their trip worldwide when they were 12. In essence, they were the parents that the younger alpha twins didn't really have. 

 

Dipper enjoyed being alone. He found almost everyone slightly unbearable in their own way, and often enjoyed staying in his room reading or out in the forest studying the various mythical creatures that lurked in the darkness. Dipper was a human of pure curiosity and had an insatiable hunger for knowledge. It's what made being alone so nice. He loved his sister, but even she could be overwhelming at times. He would be perfectly content with living as a lone Alpha. 

 

And that's why the day his great-uncles had told him he was being given ( _forced to accept_ ) an Omega when he was 13, he was outraged. 

 

"I don't need a  _whimpering, spineless Omega_! I'm doing just fine being  _alone_!" It was the first and _only_ time that he'd bared his fangs at the superior Alphas in his entire life.

 

"This isn't  _our_  decision. It's your parents'. And besides, what're you complainin' about? Some Alphas in our family had to fight tooth and nail for a mate. You're practically being given one!" Stanley had growled back, towering over the young Alpha in a show of pure dominance. 

 

"Why don't you just give him to _Mabel_?" 

 

"Because your sister has been proficient with her time and found an Omega _on her own_." Stanford cut in, icy eyes cutting into the young Alpha mercilessly. Dipper snarled before turning and storming out of the large library in a blind rage. 

 

"Dipper, get back here!" Stanley shouted, visibly bristling.

 

"Let him be, Stanley. He has five years to mature and understand his role as an heir." Stanford said coolly, placing a hand on his twin Alpha's shoulder. 

 

Dipper still remembered the day very clearly. He'd stormed into his room, thoughts turning violent as he growled to himself in the elegant room. 

 

He'd known his parents were ( _apparently_ ) worried about his lack of progress with any Omegas in the town from what the servants had relayed to him. But, truthfully, Omegas were all so horribly submissive and dull. Their personalities all blended together into a want to submit and obey him. It was sickeningly humiliating to watch. Even his mother, from what he'd remembered of her, seemed so empty inside until his Father would return. He'd decided he'd rather have no mate than to be stuck with such a lowly shell of an individual for the rest of his life.

 

He knew what society thought of each subspecies. Alphas were superior in both looks and personality, holding dominance and leadership roles over the others easily. They were aggressive, analytical, and fiercely protective. Omegas were submissive in nature, often being seen as weak baby-makers that needed Alphas to protect and breed them. Where some Alphas shielded their Omegas completely (like his father with their mother) and refused any contact with their mates from outsiders at all, others let their mates roam freely (a rather  _stupid_  idea in Dipper's opinion because plenty of Alphas ended up losing their mates that way). Betas were...well, exactly as how his family had portrayed them. The middle-ground of both subspecies that didn't really have the best of either side of the spectrum. He'd accepted long ago that if he  _were_  to have a mate, it would definitely be an Omega. However, after seeing the Omegas of Ursidae Falls, he'd found little interest in having a mate _at all_. 

 

He turned to see his sister leaning against his doorframe, a single eyebrow raised as she smirked at him.

 

"This is so unlike you, brother dearest. You're normally so cool and collect."

 

"Don't patronize me." The male Alpha hissed, glaring at the female from his place in the room. 

 

"Did you even see the picture of him or did you just storm out when they told you that you were being given an Omega?"

 

"I don't care what he looks like."

 

"He's cute." He narrowed his eyes at her for being so smitten. "It's a pity you won't give him a chance. I think you'd actually like this one."

 

"Why don't  _you_  take him if you're  _so_  interested, then?"

 

"Because I agree with Mother and Father. We both know you won't seek out a mate on your own."

 

"I don't  _need_  a mate."

 

"You do if you want to continue the bloodline. That's your duty as an heir."

 

The male Alpha turned away, clenching his teeth hard enough to feel his fangs bite into his lower lip.

 

"You have five years before you even have to meet him, brother. You have plenty of time to be alone before your dreaded ' _responsibilities_ ' kick in." Her tone was mocking as she turned on her heel to leave before he could retort. 

 

The day he turned 17, he finally agreed to see a picture of the promised Omega. He'd known about the letter Stanford had written to the Omega's parents, informing them of his interests and his tastes. He also knew the man probably sugar-coated his disdain at the idea of having a mate. But, for some reason, he'd stared at the crisp photo of the Omega for several moments without tossing it in the trash or immediately setting it aflame. 

 

What looked back at him was an odd boy with bright blue eyes and a timid smile. He wasn't like the Omegas here, who all were overly confident in their abilities to seduce and submit on the very ground he walked on. The boy was wearing a worn shirt and seemed to be smiling at whoever was taking the photo because his eyes were off-center. 

 

The Alpha sat on his bed, staring at the photo for a long time. He'd harbored anger and hatred for this mystery boy for so many years, only to be greeted with what looked like such a soft creature. Almost like a lost puppy. He wondered if the boy was still a whimpering mess of an Omega, or if he actually had some form of a backbone. He imagined this William Cipher to be an adventurous boy, willing to help him in furthering his scientific research. He wondered if he was brave (and the photo was just him on an off-day because even  _his_  photo came out a little more aggressive than he had intended) and intelligent like himself. He'd need an assistant if he wanted to surpass Stanford one day, and what better than a mate who could help him run experiments and analyze data? Sure, love would be great, but his passion for science far outweighed the need for the emotion. If the Omega loved science the same way he did, he was sure he'd eventually form some form of romantic connection with him. 

 

The day of his 18th birthday, he had cleared a guest bedroom and assisted the servants in making it spotless. He ensured the room was cozy and comfortable and even went so far as to clean his own room to ensure their first impressions would be perfect. It's not that he was nervous, because he was  _never_  nervous, it was just a reflection for his love of perfection. He loved organized cleanliness and he was sure the Omega would feel the same way. 

 

When everything was prepared, he joined Stanley to meet the Omega at the bus station. He was disgusted that his future mate would be arriving through such a filthy transportation system, but he'd been told his Omega was coming from a fairly poor family. It was another thing that caught his eye about the Omega. A boy from a busy city moving to the rural parts of Oregon would definitely be an interesting sight. Even more so, he'd love to see how an Omega from a poor family in the city seemed to have purer blood than some of the Alphas in Ursidae Falls. 

 

They cancelled their show for the town that night, not that the townspeople really minded. The buzzing excitement at having a new arrival overtook the town, only made even more exciting by the fact that this new arrival was the potential mate to one of the town's two favorite twins. 

 

He stood at the station, jaw clenched and back straight as he watched the bus slowly approach the rustic building. The bus itself creaked and groaned as the breaks reluctantly slowed and stopped the sluggish vehicle. The squealing of rusty doors made him wince. He watched a shadow move slowly through the tinted windows, shouldering what looked like a backpack as they stiffly made their way to the front of the bus. He watched the individual half wave at the bus driver before turning to descend the creaky metal steps. 

 

When his eyes met soft blue ones, he felt his heart stop. 


	3. Bad First Impressions

He stepped off the bus after thanking the bus driver (they'd bonded after he was the only passenger left) and immediately made eye contact with what he instantly recognized as the boy from the photo he'd kept all these years. The photo suddenly weighed heavily in his back pocket. 

He felt his heart quiver when cold blue eyes stared back at him. The longer those menacing eyes stared at him, the more uncomfortable he felt. He shrunk a little into himself. So the boy really was as terrifying as his picture made him seem. He tried to remain positive regardless.  

"H-Hello, M-Mason?"

The male alpha didn't say anything in response. He could see his hand trembling from where he was gripping his backpack strap. The taller, older alpha looked down at him with what could be interpreted as sympathy, though he wasn't entirely sure. He bit his lower lip nervously, turning his attention back to the boy who was openly scowling at him now. He felt his face heat in embarrassment. Was it his clothes? Did he say something wrong? Did he smell?  _What did he do wrong?_

The male alpha huffed before turning on his heel and walking away, leaving Will to stare after him in complete confusion and humiliation. He could see the older man glare after the boy before he grabbed Will's suitcase and gestured for Will to follow him. The omega obeyed, feeling anxiety pool in his gut as he watched the boy get into the car without a single word toward him. To try and get his mind off the fact that  _everything_  he'd dreamed this boy would be was  _shattered_ , he focused on the beautiful car that rested in front of him. His family car back home was extremely worn, but it worked like a charm because of his dad. His dad would only dream of driving something like this, and it made him sad that he couldn't experience this with him. He wondered if his dad could finally buy a car like this for himself with the money he'd gotten from his dowry. 

"My name's Stanley. I'm Dipper's great-uncle."

Will looked up to see the larger alpha hold a hand out to him. He blinked before looking down at the larger hand and shakily reaching out to grasp it. 

"D-Dipper? 

"Ah. That's a nickname we have for him."

"O-Oh." Will nodded before grimacing.  _Tell him your name, too_. "U-um...I'm W-Will."

"I know." The alpha sighed before letting his hand go to point with his thumb toward the car. "Don't mind him. He just takes warming up to. 

"O-Oh. Okay."

Stanley easily lifted his things into the trunk of the car before shutting it and walking to the driver's seat of the car. Will gulped anxiously before glancing around the area. It was no less ominous than the worn town sign. Woods surrounded the small bus stop, towering high above them and threatening to block out the night sky. The one thing that didn't seem to threaten to be blocked was the large full moon glaring down at him. Something about this place made a shiver run down his spine. He watched a faded streetlight in the distance flicker, then shut off completely. Seeing that, he yelped and quickly made his way into the car, shutting the door immediately before glancing around the woods once more. Once he felt safer after locking the door, he breathed a soft sigh of relief. 

He blinked before looking down at the seats curiously. They were leather,  _real_  leather. He brushed his fingers over the material, reveling in the softness of the texture. He felt the car rumble before they started driving out. He'd seated himself behind Dipper on purpose, eager to avoid those skeptical eyes as much as possible. 

His mother's words rang in his ears.

" _...you still have rights._ "

He sighed softly before turning his attention out the car window. The trees looked eerily black in their shadows, reminding him of those late night horror movies that premiered on the tv back home. He wondered if there were any serial killers around here. He glanced at the young alpha. Was  _he_  a serial killer? He certainly seemed like it with the way he sent cold chills down his spine. He focused his attention to the sounds of gravel crunching under the tires of the car and the soft hum of the radio in the background. He could see Stanley glance at Dipper every so often, but the young alpha's attention was focused out the window. He didn't really know how to feel about that. 

The only temporary comfort came when soft lights flickered in the distance. He shifted quietly to look at them through the windshield and that comfort quickly vanished. What he dreamed would be a large, beautiful mansion was overthrown by the looming manor that towered above them. It looked more like a castle than a home and Will was very certain it was haunted. That thought made him even more nervous and his mind lingered on the money in his suitcase to buy a ticket home.  _It became a lot more tempting the longer he was here._

When the car was parked, Dipper was the first one to get out. Will waited for the alpha to leave before he opened the door to avoid being under that terrifying gaze again. Stanley immediately got out of the car as well, glaring the young alpha down. Their staring match continued for several moments before Dipper growled and stormed back toward Will's side of the car. The omega flinched when the door was forced open and a hand was extended for him. He hesitantly took it, allowing the alpha to pull him out before he watched him briskly walk to the trunk and pull his things out. He looked down at his hand, curious as to why it tingled with warmth where it held the alpha's. He turned back to see Dipper glare at him. He flinched. 

"I-I can...get it." Will squeaked before grabbing his backpack and shouldering it. He lifted his bag of of the car, shivering when he felt the alpha's eyes on him. The trunk slammed shut under the alpha's hand and Will tried not to make his scent reflect the fear that gripped his gut. 

He glanced over at Dipper when the alpha didn't move, fidgeting with the handle of his bag before the young alpha finally led them around the car and toward Stanley, who awaited them on the stairs leading to the front door of the manor. Will glanced around nervously, feeling his heart pound anxiously in his chest as he reluctantly followed the two alphas inside. The manor towered over him as if to say he were nothing but a spec of dirt on the ground, and he was slowly finding that he  _really_ did not belong here. 

"Dipper, help  _your Omega_  to his room."

Dipper glared at Stanley before turning back to Will. The omega flinched before looking away. 

"Come on, then." A harsh voice finally addressed him. He nodded.

He found that the inside of the manor was just as intimidating as the outside. Family portraits were hung eerily on the hallway walls, with several family eyes glaring down at him. He directed his attention toward the ground to try and ease the sense of doom that continued to build in his chest. 

The alpha stopped in front of a beautiful wooden door before turning the knob and walking into the room. Will's eyes widened as he looked around, awestruck. It was about twice the size of his room back home, filled with beautifully carved wooden furniture and a bed three times the size of his own. The walls were a beautiful light blue color and the floor was a dark, shiny wood that didn't creak when he stepped on it like they often did in his house. 

He turned to see Dipper analyzing him with narrowed eyes.

"W-What?"

"Are you sure that you're my promised mate?"

"What do y-you mean by that?" Will tried not to take offense, but he could feel anger begin bubble in his stomach.  _What was this guy's problem?_

" _You look like a stray dog_."

Will grit his teeth then, glaring back at the young alpha. His scent must have reflected his anger because the alpha bared his fangs slightly in warning. _How dare he?_

" _A s-stray dog?_ "  

" _Yes_ ; a lost,  _stray_  dog." 

"By that l-logic, your attitude is more  _feral_  than  _my appearance_." 

They maintained eye contact, scowling at each other before the alpha growled and walked past him out of the room. Will glared after him, trying to push down the anger that began to boil in his stomach. If that had lasted for a moment longer, he would have unwillingly submitted in appeasement from his instincts clawing desperately at him to please the angered alpha. Truthfully, he'd never willingly submit to someone that absolutely  _wretched_  of a person. 

He shut the door and let out a ragged breath. This was  _horrible_.  _He just wanted to go home._

He decided to forego unpacking to pull his laptop out of his backpack and contact his parents. Since Dipper didn't like him anyway, he assumed he had free reign over his privileges to speak with outside individuals.  His fingers lingered over the message he typed to them complaining of the horrid alpha before he sighed miserably. No, he couldn't do this to them. His family desperately needed the money and they'd done everything in their power to make sure he would have a good home. 

Maybe Dipper didn't like him, but the other family members might. That's all that really mattered, right? He could live with a loveless marriage and possibly bear this horrid alpha pups, but as long as he had someone to turn to he could just grin and bear it. 

Angered whispers erupted from outside his door and his ears perked up. He carefully rested his laptop on his bed before quietly padding toward the door.

"... _horrible first impression_ , brother!"

An angered sigh. It sounded like Dipper's.

"You should be  _ashamed_. He's probably  _terrified_." 

" _My apologies, sister dearest_." Dipper hissed. "I forgot that you knew  _so much more_  about being forced to accept an Omega than  _me_." 

"Don't get that attitude with me, Dipper. You are a Gleeful and you will  _act_  as such. That Omega has done  _nothing_  to you and you  _will_  court him properly and  _respectfully_  whether you like it or not."

Will trembled when he heard the male growl viciously. Footsteps stomped past his room and he quickly scrambled his way back into his bed. 

It's not like  _he_  chose this either. He was forced into this just as much as Dipper was, apparently. At least  _he_  was being civil about it.  _Stray dog_? How  _rude_. He may be from the  _slums_ (he was  _pretty_  sure that may have been what Dipper was referring to, which only boiled his blood  _further_ ), but even his parents had taught him how to be  _polite_. He glared at his laptop before closing it and placing it on his table. 

The message to his parents lingered on his closed screen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YBTXOB QEB YLV TFQE QEB DILTFKD BVBP


	4. Learning About Dipper Gleeful

Will wasn't exactly sure what he dreamed of, but he did know it made him _extremely_ uncomfortable. It seemed odd because the only thing he could truly remember was being watched by a single floating eye in his dreams. It spoke in a strange tongue he couldn't understand and it seemed to will him to understand something he couldn’t. When he woke up, he was in a cold sweat, gasping as he glanced around the unfamiliar room. He wiped his face and grimaced at the amount of sweat that stuck to his skin. After allowing himself a few minutes to calm himself, he pushed the heavy covers off and wiggled his feet off the bed. The sunrise was softly beaming through his window and he could see the forest's shadow becoming slightly less menacing as light glistened through its trees. He didn't know why, or if maybe his dream had primed this, but he felt like something was watching him in the forest’s shadows. He could see a hunched creature watching him in the darkness before quickly disappearing into the woods. He swallowed thickly, trying to tell himself it must have just been a deer. A very... _large_...deer. 

He forced himself off the bed and padded into the bathroom, turning the faucet in the sink to splash his face with water. The cool water felt nice against his skin, slowly drowning out the eerie feeling of the morning so far. He turned the shower on and watched the water pick up through the shower head to drizzle quickly onto the floor. It was so different from his shower at home, larger and...stronger? He wasn't sure the right word for it. He stripped and stepped in, amazed at the comforting feeling the water droplets had on his bare skin. If he had a shower like this back home, he was sure he'd never leave. Actually, he kindof wished he could just stay in here for the day. As far away from that horrid Alpha as possible, anyway. He yawned and stretched his muscles, reveling in the warm water droplets that lightly pelted his tense muscles. At least it eased the tension of his dream a little bit. He wasn't sure what that was about, truthfully. Maybe it was just nerves from the new environment. _Yeah_ , he would just chalk it up to that. 

When he was finished brushing his teeth and getting dressed, he adjusted his shirt to ensure it looked a little crisper than the others. He'd settled for wearing a soft collared shirt that his mom had given him before he'd come to Ursidae Falls. He was saving it for a rainy day (or rather, in the event he had to look particularly nice), but he figured today would be a good day as ever to wear it. After all, he had to fight the  _stray dog_  look he apparently sported. He was still bitter about that. He was sure he'd _always_ be bitter about it. It's not that he was really personally offended, more hurt that the Alpha had insulted his family. He reflected his family's status, and for an Alpha to say such a thing was a deeper jab than just possibly saying he was a _pathetic Omega_. 

What did the Alpha even know about _anything_? His nickname was literally  _Dipper,_ as in the _Little_ Dipper. What kind of name was that, anyway? 

He huffed before opening the door to his bedroom and glancing around the hallway. It seemed safe, so he decided to take a small tour until he found the kitchen. He was  _not_  about to try and greet the Alpha this early in the morning, so he settled for grabbing breakfast instead. Maybe he'd even run into a servant or a family member that he’d make a better first impression with. He was hopeful to gather some information about his Alpha, to see if he was _always_ this rude or if maybe he was just a nervous speaker. Some people say things when they're nervous, but Will's bitterness didn't really allow that to settle with the Alpha's appearance in his eyes. His attention roamed over the hall walls, again feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand when the family portraits felt like they were glaring down at him. It almost felt like they were warning him to leave and never come back. He was very tempted to do so.

After what felt like an hour, he finally found his way into the kitchen. People were buzzing around, preparing for what looked like lunch. He thought it was excessive, wondering how wealthy this family was for it to need an entire kitchen staff to cook for such a small family. Then again, he wasn't really entirely sure how many people lived in this manor. One of the employees looked to him suddenly and he smiled weakly. The taller man returned the smile, placing the stack of plates he was holding down onto a metal table in the center of the room and quickly making his way over to greet him.

"Well hey there, little dude! You’re Will, right?"

Will nodded. Did everyone know who he was here? 

"She told me you were comin', but I wasn't really sure when! It’s nice to meet ya!" 

Will felt like he should be a little intimidated, being around the larger Alpha. He knew it was an irrational fear installed from years of Omega education for Alpha-danger situations but it was ingrained in him regardless. The man was goofy, though, at least from how his voice reflected. He was a little pudgy and could probably throw a mean punch if he really wanted to, but his eyes were warm and his smile was friendly. He returned the goofy smile. 

"Awh, you must be hungry! You ready to eat?"

Will nodded again, watching the Alpha hum happily. The larger man quickly made his way across the kitchen, disappearing into what looked like a closet of some sort. Will turned to watch the others bustling about, cleaning and organizing kitchen utensils. Some were chatting animatedly about something and others were dozing off in a corner. Some were dressed in butler and servant uniforms, others in chef apparel. He just assumed this, because they looked like the uniforms he'd seen on TV shows. He didn't really understand why it was necessary, but he decided not to think too much of it. The larger Alpha returned with a hot croissant, some strips of bacon, a small bowl of cereal and milk, a muffin, and apple juice. Will's eyes widened, knowing there was no way he could eat so much food. The Alpha laughed heartily in response.

"Don't looked so shocked, dude! Dipper wanted to make sure you had a good breakfast." 

Will's face must have reflected a flash of anger because the larger Alpha gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I take it your first experience didn't go well, huh?"

He shook his head as the Alpha slid the tray of food onto the table and pulled out a seat for him to sit on. He climbed into the stool, shyly nibbling on the food as the man shook his head slightly.

"Don't mind him, dude. He's tough on the outside but a real softy on the inside. It just takes him time to get used to new people."

"I-It sure doesn't seem that way." Will grumbled.

"He doesn't like most people. It's nothing personal, the little dude just...well, he's seen some rougher times."

Will tilted his head slightly as he sipped on the juice. The Alpha tapped his chin, as if to determine if he should continue. Will watched him stroke hair on his chin, though it looked more like whiskers than a beard of any kind.

"Well, ah, alright. Dipper is...well, he's not really like other Alphas." The man glanced around the room before leaning in and shielding his mouth from anyone seeing his lips. Will leaned in instinctively. "Some say he's got magical powers." 

"Soos, stop telling him that nonsense." 

They both jumped and turned to see a red headed female roll her eyes with a playful smile at the Alpha. Soos shrugged at her with a wide grin.

"I think it's true! I mean, everything about the twins is mysterious, ain't it?"

The Beta shook her head, chuckling softly before turning to Will. 

"You must be Will. I'm Wendy. And this," She pointed with her thumb to the Alpha, "is Soos. Don't listen to him, he thinks everything is unicorns and fairies." 

"It is, dude! I've seen them!" Soos piped in, pouting.

"Sure." She ruffled the man's hair before telling him to get back to work. The Alpha nodded, waving to Will before grabbing the stack of plates and turning to leave. Wendy looked back to him. "So, lemme guess, you and Dipper didn't get along at first sight, huh?"

Will shook his head. Wendy sighed in annoyance. Apparently, this was a normal occurrence.

"That boy, he's so stubborn. Don't take it personally, he's just like that. He was like that with all of us, too, until we got to know him. Now he's hands down one of the sweetest dudes in town."

"R-Really?" 

"Yeah. Like that breakfast" she nodded toward his tray of food, "he already feels bad about whatever he said to you the other day."

Will blinked and looked down at the food. How odd.

"He'll probably apologize at some point to you later today, in his own way anyway. That's just how he is. But if I were you, I'd talk to Mabel."

"M-Mabel?" He took another bite of the croissant. It was fluffy and warm.

"Mabel's his twin sister. She's actually the one who told us all about you before you came." She glanced over her shoulder before shouting orders at the worker dozing off in the corner. They jumped and scrambled to return to washing dishes before she turned back to him. "Yeah, she's your best bet if you're trying to understand Dipper a little better. Plus, she seems to really like you, so I would talk to her today if you get the chance."

A large bang made the female Beta sigh in frustration.

"I have to go. But feel free to come back and ask us anything else you want to know. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but you’ll get used to it."

Will nodded before Wendy turned and started walking toward where the suspected accident occurred. He finished the croissant and muffin before downing the rest of the apple juice. He felt bad for leaving the cereal (now looking fairly sad and soggy), but he really was full. One of the employees took the dirty plates from him before he had the chance to wash them, saying he was sweet but they had it. It was all so strange and foreign, and he even felt a little awkward not having washed his own dishes when he left the kitchen. 

His thoughts wandered as he walked, trying to put all the pieces of information together. Dipper was a nice person, _apparently_ , under his hard exterior. But from his experience, he was rude and had even bared his teeth toward his supposed mate. That seemed a little... _unusual_. What Alpha bared their teeth at their mates, anyway? Either he was treating him as equally as everyone else or he was just plain rude. Then again, with living in a house like this and having everything done for you, he can imagine that this might be the cause of his rash behavior. But what had Soos said, about having some rough times before? He didn't understand that. And magical? That didn't make much sense either. Wendy _had_ said to ignore him on that, but he decided to keep it in mind anyway. He sighed. 

Mabel, though. They said to talk to her. She must have been the girl scolding Dipper last night in front of his room. She certainly seemed to act older in some ways than her "twin" brother. And apparently  _she_  liked him, at least. That's all he needed, was just a few supporters. He glanced around the hallway, realizing he'd already lost his way to his room. This manor was so huge, a good ten times bigger than his house at home. What did people even need with houses this big, anyway? And it was so _terrifying_. He stopped walking and listened carefully.

It was eerily silent. He looked at the paintings, luckily they weren’t the condescending family photos in the main hallway. These were landscape photos, though even they were subtly unsettling. He was fairly certain that this manor was haunted, and that made a cold shiver run down his spine. He was a bit of a scaredy-cat. It's why he'd been hoping his Alpha was a little more courageous than he was because...well, he even had a nightlight at home. His laptop had served as a mini nightlight substitute last night for him because he'd completely forgotten to bring his from home. 

Footsteps approached him and his eyes widened as he glanced around the hallway. _Nothing_. No one was in view on either side and he felt himself tremble in petrified anticipation. The loud thudding of his heart in his chest nearly made him pass out when he whipped around and Dipper was standing in front of him with an unamused expression. He yelped, jumping in the air and falling back on his hands. The Alpha glared down at him. 

" _What_ are you _doing_?"

"L-Looking around. I-I got lost." He admitted weakly. The Alpha narrowed his eyes slightly. He felt terror continue to clench his stomach at the angered gaze.

"You ‘ _got lost_ ’?"

Oh, this was going to lead to another snide comment about his shortcomings. Will huffed and made to get up before a hand entered his view. He blinked, staring at it for a moment before looking up at the Alpha in curiosity. Dipper raised an eyebrow, clearly becoming annoyed with having his hand held out with no rapid response from the Omega. Will quickly accepted it when it dawned on him, allowing the Alpha to pull him up. 

They stood in front of each other in silence for several beats before the boy turned. 

"Well, follow me then. I can take you back to your room if _that's_ where you're trying to go."

"Y-Yeah. Okay." 

He felt a blush creep over his cheeks as he followed the young Alpha. He'd been expecting snarky insults and instead received help. Maybe they were right about him needing time to warm up to him. Maybe this was even the “apology” that Wendy had mentioned. They walked in silence, though it was only a short walk because his room was only a corner turn away from where they were previously. Will felt himself flush in embarrassment when Dipper gestured to his room. 

"If you need help, just tell one of the servants to call for me."

And with that, the Alpha turned on his heel and left him behind. He blinked after the boy before turning back to his door. That was...odd. How did Dipper just appear behind him? He'd looked both ways and no one had been there, then suddenly he appeared behind him? And the problem still came that he needed to find Mabel. He looked after where Dipper had disappeared. Either the Alpha was really fast or there were secret passageways hidden in the walls. Truthfully, he wouldn't be surprised if there were. 

Instead of re-entering his room, he turned and tip-toed down the direction the Alpha had been. Maybe he could talk to Dipper and try to mend their first impressions? He glanced around the empty hallway, pursing his lips. Well, it would certainly be a little difficult to do so when the Alpha was disappearing all the time. He was like a ghost, really. He did say to get a servant but even then, there weren't really any servants around for him to ask. He could go back to the kitchen and ask them, though. He turned on his heel and started walking, carefully trying to remember his path back. Unfortunately, when he returned to where he believed the kitchen was, it wasn't the door he thought it would be. Instead, when he opened it, he was welcomed into a small ballroom. He frowned. He had been going the right way… _hadn't he_? 

"You get lost so easily, don't you?"

He whipped around to see a girl smirking at him. Her hand was curled against her chin where her smile was growing and her eyes were filled with obvious amusement. It was very apparent this was Dipper's twin because they looked fairly similar. She had long brown hair and softer eyes than her brother, but her grin was just as unsettling as Dipper's scowl. He wasn't sure how he should feel about the Gleeful family anymore. 

"Y-Yeah." He finally muttered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. She giggled.

"It's okay. It's a big place." She hummed before wiggling her pointer finger for him to follow her. "Let’s go for a little walk, shall we?"

Will felt dread pool in his gut. He was scared, but she seemed a lot friendlier and more willing to talk than Dipper was. He walked beside the female Alpha, glancing nervously between her and the pathway they took. She was leading him down another unfamiliar hallway and he was unsure as to where she was taking him. 

"So, William, how do you like it here so far?"

"The...um...the people are really nice."

"The kitchen staff? They are really sweet, aren’t they?" 

Had she been watching him? Or had they told her he'd met them? But there’s no way that would have been communicated so quickly. He just nodded in response.

"And you've already met Dipper?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am." 

"What do you think about him?"

He went silent. This could be a trick. He forced a small smile.

"He's...quiet." 

"Oh, come now, you don't have to be so nervous. He's a bit of an ass, isn't he?" 

Will snorted before his eyes widened and he clasped a hand over his mouth. Mabel laughed in response. 

"Don't worry, he already knows. My brother always has been a little intimidating toward new people. He's had it a little rougher than some so it takes him a little longer to trust strangers."

"W-What do you mean?" There were those words again, “ _rough times_ ”. What was that referring to?

"He'll probably tell you one day. But, in all honesty, he really does have an interest in you on _some_ level. I mean, he's kept your picture on his desk for _years_." 

Will's face must have reflected his shock because Mabel giggled.

"He may seem cold, but I'm sure even the kitchen staff told you he's really soft inside. His nose has been buried in science books for so long that he's just forgotten how to interact with new people properly." 

She paused and he glanced around, amazed that he was back to his room. His jaw fell open. Wait, how did they end up here? He didn't even realize they had turned or anything. There was _no way_ they could have ended up here. 

"There's more than one path to reach the same destination." She winked at him. "Just try different paths until you can finally reach what you’re looking for." 

And with that, the female Alpha turned and left him behind. 

He stared after her in shock before turning back to his door. The entire manor was an optical illusion; he was sure of it. Dipper, Mabel, the kitchen staff, the manor itself, all a trick of his mind. He sighed and walked into his room, just wanting to lay down after the events of the morning. It had only been _maybe_ two hours since he'd woken up, but he was already feeling exhausted. His mind was swimming with all the new information he'd received in the short time span and he tried to make sense of it all. 

He decided that he really needed to speak with Dipper properly.

But _how_? The Alpha was always so _cold_ toward him and he always lost his words when those calculating eyes fell on him. But if what everyone was saying was true, then Dipper was a really nice person inside…somehow. He ran a hand through his messy blue hair. But then it raises the question: How does one _talk_ to their promised Alpha? Especially when he was such a  _jerk_? And even stranger, the Alpha seemed to actually _like_ him in _some_ way because if Mabel was telling the truth, his picture was on the Alpha's desk. Add that with the fact that Dipper had apparently told Soos what to prepare for him for breakfast, that means the Alpha had to like him in some way, _right_? Or…maybe he was just grasping at straws. 

He plopped himself on the bed and frowned. He’d said to tell a servant to call for him, but he wasn't even sure if he wanted to do _that_. That would seem so _odd_. But he doubted that he'd catch the Alpha strolling around because, for _some_ reason, both twins had that creepy habit of sneaking up on him. 

He never had to deal with this when he lived with his parents. Everyone was always outward with their thoughts. They'd say what was on their mind, communicate their feelings,  _apologize_. Maybe he should do that? But apologize for _what_? He hadn't  _exactly_  done anything wrong, just reacted to the Alpha's words.

Then again, he  _was_  an Omega and technically  _owned_  by the boy now.

That formed a weight in his stomach. Ah, yeah, he was owned now. Like livestock, just used for the whims of their owners. In his case, as a trophy husband and breeder. He felt his chest clench but forced it down. There's no point in thinking about it so negatively, it would only make him cry and get upset. Besides, he had things he needed to do. And he needed to talk to his parents eventually, as well. Not about his clear want to return home and how terrifying the Gleeful family was, but just to tell them that he was safe.

 

...he  _was_  safe,  ** _right_**? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLO EB FP KLQ TEXQ EB PBBJP


	5. Fumbled Second Beginnings

Will yawned as he opened his laptop after resting his back against the headboard of his bed. His eyes adjusted to the bright screen briefly before he started typing a message to his parents. He thought he'd finally found the perfect wording for how he wanted to portray his experiences with the Alpha and his family...until he found himself staring blankly at the empty message. 

"Dear Mom and Dad,"

He ran his hand through his hair. 

_Things are going well!_

He tapped the "delete" key aggressively. 

_"I've met my Alpha."_

Too serious. He tapped the key again. 

_"Oregon seems really interesting so far!"_

There we go. He rubbed his cheek.

 _"I can see the forest from my window and it's really scary-"_ He coughed and tapped the key again. _"It's so different than the park back home!"_

 _Ugh_ , this was way harder than he thought it would be. But he knew his mom would probably be very worried about him since he didn't contact them last night. He decided he'd just keep all information of Dipper and their shaky relationship out of the message. Only if his parents asked would he would talk about it. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.

_"I made it here safe and sound! The bus ride was nice and I talked to the bus driver a lot. The Gleeful family met me at the bus station to pick me up. How are things back home?"_

He nodded and sent it before closing his laptop. Yeah, that was good. Short and sweet. He carefully placed the laptop next to him on the large bed and glanced at the window. Would that creature still be there? Sorry, " _large deer_ ". He slid to his feet and padded over to the bright opening, eyes scanning the forest edge ahead. Nothing was there looming or waiting for him, but he just couldn't shake off the eeriness of the morning. Maybe he should check it out, just to ease his anxiety. It's not like he was doing anything productive being cooped up in this house, anyway. The only problem would be finding his way outside, but he was sure he could figure it out along the way. 

He walked out of his room and hummed to himself as he looked down both ways. Well, he was _pretty_ sure if he turned right, he would make it to the kitchen and there had to be an exit in there _somewhere_. Even if there _wasn't_ , Wendy or Soos would probably be able to point him in the right direction. And to the left was where Dipper had disappeared to, but he highly doubted the Alpha would still be there now. He took his chances and made a right, walking down the always eerie hallway. He decided to pick up his pace, not in the mood to subject himself to the chilly glares from the old family paintings. 

He glanced down one of the hallways at the small intersection, feeling a chill run up his spine when he met eyes with a strange tapestry hanging from the wall at the end of one of the hallways. He couldn't quite read it, but something about it made his entire body cringe. He could make out a black shadow of some sort with a bright yellow circle in the center, but everything else was blurry. He grimaced, deciding not to try his luck further today. Finding ghosts was not on his to-do list for…well, ever.

The clanking of metal caught his attention and he turned to see the opened kitchen doors. He sighed in relief at the sight. He quickly made his way inside, surprised to see it almost completely empty of the buzzing kitchen staff earlier. Dishes were cleaned and stacked neatly on wooden shelves and a heavenly smell of ham in the oven hung in the air as he walked in. Soos was munching on something out of view, sitting on the stool he'd used earlier and flipping through what looked like a magazine of some sort. The Alpha peeked up and turned to him, probably having caught wind of his scent. The man grinned at him as he placed his sandwich down onto the plate resting by his side.

"Sup, little dude! Did you need something?"

"Um...yeah, h-how do I... go outside?"

"Outside? Why do you want to go outside?”

"N-No reason, really. I just wanted to look around. E-Explore. You know." He felt dread slowly grow in his chest.

Soos' eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he glanced behind him. Will felt a cold shiver run down his spine for a moment before he followed the Alpha's gaze. He met icy blue eyes and felt that dread begin to weigh heavily in his stomach.

"And why, _pray tell_ , would you want to do  _that_?" Dipper shut the book in his hand with a loud thud. Will could see his jaw set as he walked closer to him, scent seeming more terrifying than its usual neutral air. He trembled. 

"I-I've n-never seen a forest b-before." He swallowed thickly, moving slowly to grip the metallic table. His heart pounded violently in his chest as it felt like the Alpha was towering over him. Why were they acting like this? He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? He felt himself begin to hyperventilate.

" _I'll_  take you then." Dipper stated simply, eyes resting on him for an uncomfortable amount of time before Will turned his attention to the floor. He sunk into himself slightly, clearly submitting to the Alpha to prevent any mistake in an attempt at dominance. His hormones immediately surged through him and he was moments away from lying on the floor.

"Brother, leave the poor boy alone. He's literally shaking."

They all turned to see Mabel at the kitchen entrance, arms folded and an eyebrow raised at her brother in a clear " _what the hell are you doing_ " gesture. The male Alpha narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm not doing any-"

"Yes, you are. You're scaring the hell out of him. Don't tell me  _you_  can't even see it." 

The Alpha turned back to look at him and Will flinched before turning his attention back to the floor. He heard Dipper growl something under his breath.

"Will, look at me."

He immediately looked up at Mabel.

"He may be your Alpha, but he doesn't really know how to react around Omegas, especially not you because you’re his promised mate. You have to tell him when he's scaring you like that."

"I'm not a  _child_ , Mabel." Dipper snarled at his twin. "Stop acting like I'm socially inept."

Mabel shot him a look as she walked up to Will. He felt himself tremble violently being in the presence of so many Alphas (two of which who were very clearly competitive) but Mabel just rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on. I'll show you around the woods if that’s what you want to do."

He looked up in time to see Dipper smack her hand off him. She smirked at the male Alpha as he moved to stand in front of Will. Will’s eyes widened as a stiff back mostly blocked his view of the female Alpha. A warning growl rumbled from Dipper and he could feel that same need to submit curl in his stomach.

" _I'll_  take him." 

Will shrunk further into himself when the two glared at each other for an elongated period. They seemed to communicate something that he couldn't understand because eventually Mabel snorted and turned away, lifting a hand to wave at them as she walked away. He was only slightly relieved when the bitterly angry scent from Dipper seemed to fade, though only slightly. 

"Just make sure to be back in time for lunch." 

She was  _leaving_  him alone with  _Dipper_?  _Why_? He anxiously turned back to look at the stiff back of the male Alpha. He was going to be alone with  _that_? He glanced at Soos who didn't seem surprised by any of it, instead continued to eat his sandwich and flip through the magazine he'd been reading before. What happened to the whole _‘Dipper was a softy on the inside’_? He was practically a _feral animal_! Dipper turned to look at him from the side of his eye and he flinched.

_"Follow me, Omega."_

He shivered at the Alpha command, feeling his entire body spark at the icy voice that was directed at him. A part of him hated that it made an aroused heat slowly pool in his gut. 

Dipper walked out of the kitchen, book gripped tightly in his left hand as his shoes tapped against the floor. He quickly followed, glancing back at Soos who waved sympathetically at him. He had a feeling the older Alpha just didn't like to deal with the angered twins if he could help it. Truthfully, he couldn’t blame him.

Dipper was still stiff during their walk through the manor. He could see the fingers around the book curl and relax around its binding every few steps. His scent had faded back into neutrality though, which helped ease some of the uncomfortable tension that had his own muscles taut. His thoughts clung to the scene prior, specifically to Dipper slapping Mabel's hand from his shoulder. What was that all about? Hadn't he just been extremely cold and terrifying to him moments before? He sighed and the sound caught the Alpha’s attention. Dipper turned back to glare at him.

"What?"

"W-What?" He stiffened when Dipper stopped and turned to look at him fully. Icy eyes bore into his.

"You're sighing." 

Will swallowed thickly before shaking his head.

"A-Ah, n-no! N-Not at all!" 

Dipper narrowed his eyes slightly. 

"You want to go home, don't you?"

Will cringed. They were nosediving again. He lied, shaking his head. He was an awful liar, so it would be easier to just refuse to speak. The Alpha probably caught onto his lie because he was suddenly crowding his personal space, pressing him against the tall hallway wall. He clenched his jaw when his wrists were forcibly pinned against the wall by a stronger hand over his head and cyan eyes were glaring down at him. He was fully trembling now and his knees were threatening to give out. He wasn't sure what this was, if the Alpha was going to just take him right then and there, but he was reminded again that he couldn't do anything if he did. Dipper owned him now. He swallowed thickly as he watched the Alpha plop the book on a table nearby, though it seemed oddly rushed. 

"You hate it here, don’t you?"

Will didn't meet the Alpha's eyes. 

"Do you wish you had a different Alpha? Maybe even my _sister_?"

Will's eyes widened as he turned back to meet those cyan eyes. 

"N-No!" 

Dipper searched his face for a moment, as if looking for the lie, but he hadn't lied. He wasn't sure why that felt like the truth, it had just come out before he even realized what he was saying. Really, who was he kidding? The Alpha was absolutely _terrifying_. Looking at himself now, with his wrists pinned and the boy pressing against him, his heart threatened to pound out of his chest in terror. But, as expected, that heat in his stomach burned and radiated throughout his belly the longer he remained dominated. He felt another cooler hand slide under his shirt and rest against his stomach. He felt a blush radiate against his cheeks.

"You're really warm."

Why was his body reacting like this? Embarrassment and humiliation lingered under his hazy arousal. He'd never reacted this way around another Alpha before. He watched the Alpha's eyes dilate slightly and he had a feeling that Dipper hadn't experienced this before either. It couldn't be his heat; it wasn't due for another month. Was it the Alpha's rut? The look on Dipper's face seemed to say otherwise.

The hand on his stomach was cool, yet soft. He felt himself release a broken purr when fingers caressed his belly. What was this? What the hell was happening? Why was his body doing this? Why was he purring, he’d never purred before in his life? Why had Dipper suddenly decided to touch him like this? The Alpha hadn't even looked like he _wanted_ to touch him before.

Dipper leaned forward out of his view and suddenly a hot tongue licked a long stripe up his neck. He moaned before he knew what was happening, wrists tugging at their soft restraint as the heat pooled even further in his gut. That hand against his stomach continued to massage the skin and it finally made sense to him. His body had been preparing to get scented. His body knew before even he did and somehow that made him anxious. He bit into his lower lip when the Alpha pulled away slightly. Cyan eyes met his for a moment before Dipper finally pulled away completely. The hands around his wrists and on his stomach disappeared with him, allowing his arms to drop down and pull his shirt back over his stomach. His entire face was hot and he looked away, embarrassment now raging through his veins. 

He'd literally moaned. Out loud. In front of his Alpha. _Fuck._

And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, he felt that familiar, painful arousal make his jeans uncomfortably tight. _FUCK._

He’d never felt more uncomfortable in his life.

He glanced at the Alpha who was turned away from him. He could see a faint blush over the Alpha’s cheeks as the boy lifted a closed hand to his mouth to awkwardly clear his throat. Well, that was even weirder. He feels like it would have felt less uncomfortable if the Alpha had planned for it than the fact that it looked like Dipper had been caught completely off guard as well. He swallowed thickly. 

"Uh...mm... I'm sorry." Dipper glanced at him briefly before turning his attention back down the hallway. "I didn't...I hadn't planned on doing that."

"It's o-okay." He bit his lower lip anxiously. Silence weighed between them and it only served to make Will squirm. God, this was just _really_ awkward.

"I didn't mean to...make you uncomfortable." He blinked and watched the Alpha stare at the wall beside him. "I'm sorry for making you think so poorly of me…before. I'm...um…I tend to have trouble with strangers."

Will was sure he'd somehow managed to hit his head. Or he was dreaming. That was probably it. His heart thumped wildly in his chest. He'd just been scented for the first time by his Alpha  _and_  he'd gotten an apology. Saying he was overwhelmed was a huge understatement.

"I-It's okay." He rubbed the back of his neck with the palm of his hand. "I-I understand. We were both f-forced into this."

"Yeah." The Alpha sighed. "I still shouldn't have taken it out on you. You had to move to an entirely new environment and you're…probably terrified. I haven't been very beneficial in helping you adjust either."

He watched the Alpha purse his lips. Silence rested between them again. Should he say something? He watched Dipper open his mouth again, though it was clear whatever he was about to say was through hesitance. Was he about to tell him he should go home? No, not probable because he literally _just_ scented him. Unless he actually hated scenting him? He didn't know why he was suddenly so terrified of what the Alpha was about to say. If he sent him home, wouldn't that be what he wanted? What he'd wanted since he'd gotten here yesterday? He didn't even know the Alpha. Why would it matter if he was returned? But...some part of him _wanted_ to stay. It didn’t make any sense. His thoughts continued to jumble as he waited in baited anticipation. 

"I'd…really like it you stayed." He could see the blush spread further over the Alpha's face. "I would...like to make up for our poor first impressions. If you'll let me, of course.”

Will felt himself smile before he could even fully register the Alpha’s words and he nodded. Dipper smiled as he finally understood the weight of the other boy’s words.

"I... would like that, yeah." 

The awkward tension between them finally seemed lighter. It was the first time Will didn’t feel horribly uncomfortable around the other boy and…he liked it. Dipper cleared his throat and nodded, though Will could still see the faint blush and... maybe even a hint of a smile. The Alpha held his hand out for Will. The omega blinked before looking down at it, tilting his head until he realized what he was doing. He reached forward and grasped it, shaking it firmly before Dipper slipped his hand out and turned away from him. Did they just make a deal? He couldn’t really tell.

"Alright, well, we'd better get going if you still want to explore the forest a little before lunch."

"Okay." Will forced his weak legs to take a step forward, wobbling slightly at first before he steadied himself. 

Dipper reached over and grabbed his book before he started walking, again leading them through the long hallways of the manor. Will followed behind, taking the moment to bring a hand up to the area the Alpha had scented on his neck and brushed his fingers against it. He blushed, already smelling Dipper's scent on himself. He...really liked it. He wasn't sure if that was just his Omega hormones or the fact that somehow he'd managed to see Dipper in another light. He calmed himself down. This was just normal Alpha behavior. In all actuality, it should have been done yesterday when they first met. He really shouldn't be getting excited over something so trivial. It was common. Alphas did it all the time. 

...Okay, he decided to let himself get a _little_ excited. After all, it wasn’t horrible like he’d expected it to be and he felt like he was finally getting somewhere with the Alpha.

They walked onto a wide, beautiful back porch after Dipper pulled a sliding door open and gestured for Will to walk out first. Will's eyes widened as he looked over the wooden panels of the floor, then to the swimming pool and eventually to the large, expansive backyard that gradually disappeared into the woods. His jaw dropped. He couldn't have imagined such a view even in his wildest dreams. It looked like something from a magazine, perfect and expensive; it was breath-taking. Dipper walked past him onto the backyard as if it was nothing special. Will noticed the large, flat rocks laid in a trail into the woods when the Alpha stepped on them to avoid ruining the lush grass around them. He followed suit, eyes finding nothing to focus completely on as he soaked every bit of the sights in. Everything was gorgeous, even the woods they were walking into. 

It was clear Dipper had been here often from the way the Alpha dodged bushes and trees with a practiced air. He wondered how long Dipper had lived here. Was he from here? He'd never really been given the address when the Alpha (or rather, Dipper’s relatives) sent mail, so he wasn't sure if Dipper lived here when he was younger. The thought of a tiny Dipper tripping over branches when learning his way around the woods made him internally smile. He knew he'd had a few moments like that himself when he was younger and trying to learn the ropes of the neighborhood he'd grown up in. 

"I'm sorry for my sister, by the way."

He blinked and realized Dipper had slowly started walking side by side with him. The trail was large now, allowing them to walk together with plenty of room for another person on either side of them. The Alpha stared ahead with an unreadable expression.

"O-Oh, it's okay. She's been really nice to me." 

Dipper shook his head, mumbling something under his breath in clear annoyance. He wondered if the siblings genuinely disliked each other or if it was a front. It just seemed so competitive between them. Will was curious if it was like that between all siblings. 

"She's a little more overbearing when it comes to me...becoming close with people." Dipper sighed. 

"Why?" Will watched the Alpha tense for a moment before letting out a heavy breath. 

"Um..." Will's eyebrows rose. Would he finally hear about the dark backstory everyone referred to? Did Dipper actually trust him enough? "Well, it's _complicated_."

"Complicated?"

"There are a lot of reasons. One of which, that I _can_ tell you, is just the fact that our great-uncles took over as our "parents" of sorts just a few years ago because of something that had happened." 

Will watched Dipper grit his teeth and look away. He tilted his head slightly. 

"Did...did something happen to your parents?"

"Ah...no. They're fine. They live somewhere in California, I think." Something churned in his stomach at the low tone the Alpha had taken. He watched an unknown emotion flash in Dipper's eyes before he moved to straighten the tie around his neck. 

Will's eyebrows furrowed. _Think?_  

" _Anyway_ ," The Alpha was quick to change his tone, "Mabel thinks that I've been hanging around Stanford for too long. You haven't met him yet, but he's an excellent scientist. She just...wants me to be more social with the townspeople or make more friends and I'm usually not very interested in that kind of thing except..." 

That was the best he was going to get, apparently. For now, anyway. He decided not to push it, having already made a leap of progress in the short time he'd had with the Alpha. He watched a small red flush appear on the Alpha's cheeks. 

"With you." 

He smiled when Dipper looked at him. Warmth bloomed in his chest.

"Well, I'd...like to be your friend, too." 

He wondered briefly if that was right. Being friends with the Alpha you were supposed to be one day mated to? Did Alphas and Omegas actually have that sort of relationship?  _Could_  they have it? The small smile that briefly appeared on the Alpha's mouth told him it was a possibility, at least for them. 

He found that he was beginning to see his future in a much brighter light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EB TFII YOFKD AXOHKBPP
> 
> This chapter should be named "That Goddamn Book Tho". Thank you Mars ;w;


	6. Harder Than It Seems

They spent more time together since the day they had finally formed a small understanding of each other. Dipper greeted him every morning and they would proceed to go on long walks through the forest or the manor to chat. Often times it would be about insignificant things like the nice weather or the delicious meals they would have prior to their walks. There were times where Will would learn various aspects of Dipper's life that made him slowly begin to admire the Alpha. 

He learned just how important science was to him, for starters. Dipper admitted to his dream of being an amazing scientist once while they were strolling through another dirt trail of the woods that Will wasn't familiar with. He told Will that Stanford, his great-uncle and mentor, had been this incredibly famous scientist who had once served as a valuable contributor to the government's understanding of ABO genetics. Now retired, the older man focused mainly on teaching Dipper about his previous studies and research or traveling to science conventions to discuss his previous work. Will still hadn't met this famous Alpha, but Dipper assured him that he'd meet him when the man returned from his international trip to Japan.

What fascinated Will more than anything was just the how absolutely different Dipper was when compared to his previous beliefs of the Alpha, or even of Alphas in general. He wasn't this cold, stoic individual that he'd originally made him to believe, but a very passionate nerd (he thinks affectionately) with a love for nature and learning. Will watched him passionately talk about astronomy or biology research that he'd done in the past that Will truthfully knew absolutely nothing about but nodded like he understood anyway. He had a feeling Dipper knew he wasn't following, but he continued anyway. And, when they weren't chatting back and forth about lighter topics, Dipper was scenting him. It started off as the Alpha simply saying that he "didn't do it properly the first time" or that it "takes a while for your scent to adjust", but the Omega was quickly beginning to realize that the Alpha was just finding reasons to be close to him. Will eventually accepted that he'd always be a blushing mess whenever the other scented him. 

Just as he was right now, pressed against the bark of a tall tree with the Alpha's hands holding his waist as he lapped a long stripe up his sensitive neck. He shuddered in the Alpha's grip and felt the telltale signs of warm heat begin to pool in his face and his gut. Dipper pulled away slowly with his eyes staring past Will as he cleared his throat. He could see a blush that reflected his own on the Alpha's cheeks, even after this was the third time he's done it this week. But...who was counting right? 

"So, you were talking about your future?" Dipper glanced at him briefly before slowly continuing his walk down the trail. 

Will gathered his thoughts before nodding and pushing off the tree. His heart continued to thump wildly in his chest as he eventually met the Alpha's pace. He felt Dipper's saliva dry on his neck and it sent a shiver of warmth down his spine. 

"Y-Yeah." He cleared his throat when it came out squeaky. "I-I...I wanted to be a history teacher."

He watched the Alpha hold his hands behind his back as he walked. Truthfully, he'd never seen anyone walk with the same grace as Dipper in his entire life. It's no wonder why he could sneak up on people so effortlessly. He'd found that the boy was usually very quiet and observant, often watching more than doing when it came to dealing with his sister or Stanley at meals. Except, of course, when they were alone together; then Dipper talked endlessly. He felt a little proud of that fact. He realized the Alpha had asked him something when he saw the other staring at him with those piercing eyes. 

"A-ah, I'm sorry?"

"I said, 'why the past tense?'"

Will turned his attention stare down the dirt path. The silence between them was filled with the crunching of leaves under his worn tennis shoes and the Alpha's leather oxfords.

"I didn't know...how...well..." He didn't want to ruin what they had right now. Dipper just continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. He bit his lower lip before reluctantly continuing. "My p-parents told me most Alphas prefer their mates to stay at home...so...I didn't know if..."

"Ah." He watched the Alpha nod with pursed lips. "You didn't know if I would be the same way, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Well." Dipper stopped and Will immediately followed suit. Those hands were no longer clasped behind the Alpha's back, instead resting against Dipper's hips as he stared at Will. "I'm not going to get in the way of you pursuing what you're passionate about. Personally, I think you'd make an excellent teacher."

Those eyes leave his briefly to stare down at the ground as the Alpha kicked a small mound of dirt.

"I would be more than happy to have a word with the superintendent of the district when you receive your certifications, if you'd like to work here."

The only thing Will could do for a solid minute was stare at the Alpha as his words slowly sunk in. His eyes searched the Alpha's for any indication that it was a lie or hoax, but Dipper just tilted his head slightly.  When Will finally accepted that the Alpha's words were true, a huge smile spread across his face and before he could stop himself, he tackled the Alpha into a tight, crushing hug. Dipper stiffened from the gesture briefly before he felt the Alpha shift to rest hands gently against his back. He blinked before quickly pulled away in embarrassment at his rash actions. He rubbed the back of his neck as he put space between them, eyes darting through the trees as smiled nervously.

"S-Sorry."

"No, no, it's okay." 

He glanced back to see Dipper's face completely red as well. The other was also averting his gaze and started adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. 

"Have you applied for college, then?" 

"N-No." Will gently kicks a dead leaf. "Not yet."

"Well, neither have I. We can do so together this summer if you'd like." 

Will grinned and nodded, earning a soft smile from the Alpha next to him before they continued walking again. Dipper glanced at something during their walk before leaning down and plucking something off the ground. Will watched curiously as the Alpha held out a small white flower for him. He blinked, staring down at it before carefully taking the stem between his pointer finger and thumb. 

"It's  _Anemone piperi._ It's a wildflower native to this area." 

Will held the fragile flower between his fingers, studying the details of the small white petals that bloomed beautifully up at him. He looked up to see the boy glance at him briefly before turning and briskly walking ahead of him. 

"Erm, so do you have any universities you prefer?" Dipper called before he quickly ran ahead to walk beside the boy. 

"Um, n-not really. You?"

"Probably somewhere not too far from Ursidae. I'd like to stay close to my family." 

"That's really sweet." 

"Well, I can't let Mabel destroy the house while I'm gone." Dipper glanced at him with a  playful smirk when Will giggled softly. "Besides, I'd like to continue my family line here." 

Family line. Pups. Will didn't know why he'd been so surprised that Dipper wanted pups, but it completely blindsided him in that moment. Awkward silence rested between them before Dipper started slowing down. Will turned around to look at him curiously when he realized the Alpha was no longer walking beside him 

"Want to start heading back? It's getting a little late." 

"Oh?" Will looked up to see the sun lazily make its way to prepare for sunset. He nodded before following the Alpha back down the trail. 

They approached the manor before nightfall, though Will wasn't entirely sure why that was such a huge relief for him. 

Strangely, the forest had been making him eerily uncomfortable since they started their small hikes through it. Once, he swore he saw some sort of creature in the distance watching them when they were walking through a particularly shady patch on one of their paths. It looked like the shadow of a bear, but horribly misshapen. He decided not to ask Dipper about it because the Alpha had been in the middle of a very excited lecture on some species of bird that was important to the area. Will just stared back at the silhouette, watching something that looked like a head follow their movements slowly. He felt like he should be afraid, but the soft, incomprehensible whispers around him attempted to comfort him. He had turned to see if Dipper had seen it, greeted by the sight that the Alpha had been staring ahead, and when he looked back the creature was gone. He had decided it was just a figment of his imagination.

\---

That was another thing he hadn't told Dipper. Lately, his dreams had slowly started to reveal more and more detailed visuals of things he couldn't quite understand. Sometimes it was of a cold laboratory of some sort, other times it was of a strangely distant land that felt oddly hot against his skin. When he woke up it all disappeared, but it often times felt so real that he had to adjust for several minutes to finally accept that it was just a dream. Somehow, it always made him want to go back into the forest whenever he finally came to his senses. Something was pulling him to whatever was inside the forest waiting for him. 

Thankfully, Dipper loved walking through the forest so he was able to scout out the area, trying to find whatever was pulling him to it. He'd found nothing so far, which didn't serve to ease his uneasiness. And, on top of just that strange pull, the animals themselves seemed to watch him whenever they were in the woods. Dipper would walk ahead of him sometimes and he would notice rabbits or squirrels on their haunches staring at him from a few feet away. He always felt a strange tingling in his bones when he made eye contact, as if he was supposed to do something to them. Like they were waiting for him to _do_ something to them.

"Will?"

He flinched and glanced around, suddenly aware of the Alpha standing in front of him curiously. He realized he hadn't been touching his food and that everyone at the table was looking at him curiously.

"I'm s-sorry." He quickly apologized, finally nibbling on the large plate of food in front of him.

Dipper gave him a strange look. Mabel just tilted her head but continued talking.

"Well, Gideon _did_ say that he wouldn't mind."

Will felt a hand gently rub his shoulder comfortingly. He turned to see Dipper gently rub circles into his shoulder blade before pulling away to continue eating. He smiled reassuringly at the Alpha before watching Stanley huff at Mabel's constant chatter.

"Kid, you just need to stop beating around the bush. Just go for the kill." He suggested gruffly before taking a large bite out of a mushy hamburger. Will watched some of the meat fall out onto the plate. 

"You say it like it's the easiest thing in the world. Things like this take patience!" Mabel rolls her eyes at her great-uncle.

"Flirting ain't hard, kid. You just lay down a good ol' one-liner and there you go. Worked for me!"

"You're divorced." Dipper states plainly and Will snorts beside him. 

"Details aren't important, Dipper." Stanley waves his hand absently. "What matters is I have more experience than the both of you, therefore, I know what I'm talking about!"

Will didn't even know that divorce was a casual thing for wealthy Alphas. Sure, he'd seen divorces happen all the time back home, but from how Stanley had said it, he wondered if it was common among the wealthy as well. He wondered the older man had been married to a Beta, or maybe even another Alpha. That would certainly explain the constant "marriage is awful" jokes that the man made on an near-hourly basis. Will was once caught in the middle of a "Her aim is getting better" joke when Dipper had finally rescued him by dragging him out of the room. 

"What do _you_ know about romance? You literally ran out on a date with that woman from town by pretending you had government work and having Soos pick you up." Dipper rose an eyebrow at the man.

"I know more than _you_ , that's for sure." Stanley smirked and Will watched them exchange knowing glances. Dipper narrowed his eyes, challenging the man to say more but Stanley just scoffed.

"I mean, true. Poor Will here has had to put up with your constant lectures on physics for a week now." Mabel held back a giggle when Dipper glared at her. "Will, don't worry, that's his version of flirting."

"At least _I_ have someone to flirt _with_." 

Will felt a blush creep up on his face as the siblings started to bicker back and forth. He decided not to mention the fact that Dipper had been leaving books at his door that revolved around off-handed things Will had mentioned during their conversations or that he'd casually give him flowers during their walks (with the excuse that he wanted Will to become more familiar with various flora in the area for safety reason). He'd dried and pressed every flower given to him into a blank journal that he'd brought from home and it was already almost completely full. He also didn't mention the fact that Dipper attempts to compliment him every morning, though to anyone else it would seem oddly obscure and far fetched to call them "compliments". 

"Brother, you literally told Pacifica that she looked like a drowned cat once."

" _She did!_ "

"That's not even a compliment!"

"It wasn't meant to be!"

Will watched Mabel cover her mouth because she was laughing so hard. He could smell the bitter annoyance leak through his Alpha's scent. Oddly enough, it didn't bother him like he thought it would. Normally, even when his father was a only a little frazzled, he would find himself cower slightly at the Alpha's angered scent. Even with other Alphas he felt oddly unsafe, trying his best to put distance between them. With Dipper, it was strangely different. He could differentiate Dipper's scent as just being stubborn and holding no malicious intent. He wondered what had triggered this strange response from his body toward the Alpha. Said Alpha pouted, folding his arms over his chest as he scowled across the table at Mabel. 

"Hey Will, what about you?"

"Hm?"

"You seem like the hopeless romantic type. What's the sweetest thing an Alpha has done for you?" She glanced at Dipper mischievously. "Before Sir Casanova, obviously."

"Um." They're going to think he's such a loser, he thought bitterly. "Honestly, I d-never really got a lot of attention from A-Alphas growing up."

"What?" Dipper turn to look at him in surprise. 

"Don't be so modest, I'm sure you got Valentines' Day cards or something."

"From my p-parents." 

They stare at him blankly for a minute before Mabel turned to Dipper.

"Dipper, you need to step up your game!"

She shook her head in disbelief. "It's your job to make up for all those other idiotic Alphas. You even have it easy because he has nothing to compare your horrific flirting skills with!"

"Why do you take it upon yourself to grate on _every single one_ of my nerves?"

They started bickering again, with Mabel telling Dipper to stop being a horrible courter and Dipper saying she wasn't doing any better with her romantic interests. Stanley just watched them in amusement from the head of the table. 

It was actually a bit of a tender subject for Will. Alphas were always paying attention to other Omegas when he was in school, even before he had been promised. He was mediocre at best and that's what really added to the confusion for when his parents had told him he'd been promised. It's not like he could have crushes after he was promised anyway, but he would have liked to think someone even remotely held an interest to him. He was proved wrong more times than he could count. He was also confused when Dipper had taken to constantly scenting him or even attempt to flirt with him. Truthfully, he didn't mind the awkward attention because it was really sweet and something he wasn't accustomed to being the center of. 

When they finally finished dinner, Dipper was huffing and pouting openly to himself as he guided Will through the manor. Will always felt safer when he was with the Alpha waking down the chilling hallways than alone, so he enjoyed the company immensely. Often times Dipper took them to sit in a large library-like room with a large fireplace against the center of a wall. Soft armchairs and a couch circled it, and he knew he'd be spending a lot of time there when winter came. It looked like something from a storybook his mom had read to him when he was little, so he always enjoyed curling up on one of the armchairs while Dipper read a book aloud for him sometimes. 

Dipper took him here again today and this time they were greeted with the fireplace being lit. Normally it was empty and dark, leaving them to use the lamps in the room for light, but today it burned and flickered, lighting the room in a soft glow. He immediately went for his usual armchair until he felt a hand gently grab his wrist. He turned to look at Dipper curiously, noticing the Alpha blushing furiously behind him. 

"Um...would you like to sit with me today?" Dipper asked quietly before clearing his throat and letting go of his wrist. 

"Sure." He bit his lower lip as he followed the Alpha to the large couch facing the fireplace. Dipper sat down first, blue eyes watching Will as the Omega hesitantly sat next to him. He left some space between them, though he wasn't sure if he was supposed to have done that or not. He glanced at Dipper who looked just as uncomfortable as he felt. Should he scoot closer? Or was this fine? He fidgeted nervously with his jeans for a moment before turning to stare at the fireplace. He could see Dipper do the same, staring ahead at the flames as if it were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. 

He could see the Alpha rest a hand in the space between them and he wasn't sure if that was Dipper trying to indicate he should do the same. Did he want to hold hands? Will tried to gauge if his hands were sweaty from where they were fiddling with a string on his jeans. They didn't feel like it. He rubbed his clothed thighs with the palms of his hands as he stared ahead, just in case. 

After several minutes of tense silence Dipper moved to get up and Will let his legs begin to shake. It was one of those things that others had hated because he would bounce his legs in class whenever he had been particularly anxious during a test. The Alpha grabbed a book from one of the bookshelves and walked back, gently plopping himself on the couch. The space remained between them, though Will thought it was a little less than before. Dipper's hand wasn't resting between them this time, though. The Alpha cracked open the book that Will knew he'd already read trough three times already. He braved the fear and rested his hand between them. 

He could see the Alpha's eyes flicker to look at it and then back at the book. A hand slowly slid down to rest beside his hand with their pinkies being a short distance apart. Will curled his toes in his shoes before closing the gap. The sides of their fingers were barely touching but it was enough for both of them to start smiling shyly as they looked at other sides of the room. 

He heard Dipper flip the page of the book before the Alpha's pinky moved to rest over his. 

They rested like that for a while, smiling brightly away from each other to hide the blatant excitement that drummed between them (though their scents reflected it anyway). Will knew it was silly to get so excited over it, especially since Dipper had touched him all the time to scent him or to rest a hand on his back reassuringly, but this was...an actual romantic gesture. Not forced, but a genuine show of affection. 

 

He found that he really wished he could just sit like this forever. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EB TFII YOFKD ZEXLP


	7. Falling for Dipper Gleeful

He's sitting on the back porch, eyes staring out at the shadowed forest suspiciously. It's unusually dark and the only lighting in the area comes from the arching moonlight beaming over the twisted forest. He sees a single, circular golden light in the distance within the woods and it beckons for him to follow. His body starts to move against his will, forcing him to stand from the plush porch chair and take slow m, uneasy steps toward the forest. Half of him is screaming to stop because his Alpha isn't here to protect him from whatever is in the forest, but the other half is...not listening. It continues to force him forward and he's panicking. He feels something like chilled adrenaline surge through his body. It isn't until he feels the strange heat in his hands that he notices the flickering blue flames engulfing his hands. 

He wants to scream and put them out, but they don't hurt. There's no burns, there's no pain, but he's terrified. He tries to come down from his hyperventilation, eyes scanning his hands as the flames continue to crackle. The voice beckons, forcing his attention to turn back to the floating orb. He whimpers down at his hands before his body forces him to continue forward. 

The floating orb just...watches him? He doesn't understand why it's staring at him. The voices coming from it aren't in a tongue he understands, but his body seems to react to them effortlessly. The only thing he can comprehend is the changing shape of the floating orb into something, slowly shifting and morphing until it becomes a floating triangle in the air. Bile rises in his throat as the sounds of machinery begin to echo, growing louder and louder until they're screeching in his ears. He feels tears run down his cheeks as he yells and begs for his Alpha to save him. 

And then he's gasping and panting, eyes flying open in panic to meet concerned ones. The soothing scent of the Alpha is around him, comforting him as a cooler hand rests against his sweaty forehead. He's still hyperventilating, looking around the room as Dipper runs a hand through his hair to soothe him. He can register now that Dipper looks extremely worried, eyes scanning his face and his body as he moves his hands to rub his thumbs over the Omega's cheeks soothingly. 

"William, are you alright?"

He tries to nod but he just stares at the other boy. It's all he can do, and Dipper pulls him into a soft hug. He buries his nose into the base of the Alpha's neck, whimpering quietly as his hands clench Dipper's shirt. He's sobbing and pressing himself against the Alpha as much as he can. He can hear the soft cooing and soothing whispers vibrate from the neck he's buried himself into. Strong arms hold him tightly and he feels his body slowly relax. 

"It was just a bad dream, it's okay. I'm here to protect you. You're safe."

He finally nods, but he continues to remain curled against the other boy. It takes him several minutes to adjust himself to reality and eventually his breaths even out. His hands slowly release the Alpha's shirt and he grimaced when he sees wet spots from his tears and wrinkles where he's wrinkled the shirt. He takes a deep breath before reluctantly pulling away. He realizes they were in the small library study that was solely Dipper's before he fell asleep. There's a thick book abandoned in an armchair in front of them where the Alpha had been prior to him falling asleep. Dipper just watches him, eyes continuing to take over his body for any further signs of distress, shifting so he can rub the Omega's arms in soothing circles. Cyan eyes meet his and they stare at each other for a moment. He feels his entire body relax under the gaze, accepting that he was safe, the Alpha was here, it was okay, he was okay. 

It's different from how his parents would treat him when he had nightmares at home. They would bring him ice cream or play movies for him, cuddling with him all night or if the nightmare stemmed from a nap, they would take him out for a walk in the local park. Dipper just sits there and holds him, cooing softly as he leans forward and licks a slow stripe up his neck. What's normally stimulating and flirtatious is now relaxing and comforting, allowing calmness to wash over him as the Alpha's scent settles into his system. The Alpha brings his hands up to caress Will's cheeks gently as he rests their foreheads together. 

They sit in silence for a while, with Dipper switching between rubbing circles into his back, gently scenting him with slow stripes up his neck or resting their foreheads together. He eventually smiles tiredly at the Alpha to indicate he's okay now. Hard blue eyes melt at the sight.

"Do you feel a little better?"

Will nods.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I-It was just a nightmare, n-nothing too concerning." He decides not to tell Dipper that he'd been having similar nightmares since he'd first come to Ursidae Falls. 

"Alright. Why don't we get you into bed, then? It might help to sleep properly and not on a stiff couch."

The Omega nods sluggishly as the Alpha stands first before gently pulling him up. They slowly make their way out of the smaller room, with Dipper walking close enough for them to bump every few steps while glancing at him frequently. He's tired, but he isn't really sure he'll actually be able to go back to sleep. 

"What usually makes you feel better?"

"A-After a nightmare?" 

"Yes, I mean, what did your parents normally do?"

"My mom usually stayed with me in bed the rest of the night." Will states from memory, reminiscing back on it. "And if it was only me and my dad, then he would watch movies with me until I could fall asleep again."

"What would you like me to do?"

Will looked at him curiously. The Alpha cleared his throat.

"As in...what would you be more comfortable...with me doing for you? As...your Alpha." Dipper clarifies as they come to a stop in front of Will's bedroom door. 

"Um...I mean you c-could come in...if you'd like." Will looks away nervously as he slowly turns the doorknob. He strains his ears to listen to the next few words carefully. He hopes the boy will agree. 

"I could...yeah, I could do that if you want."

Will is greeted by the dark forest through his windows. It's nighttime, so Will wonders how long he'd been asleep. He walks in and climbs into bed, yawning as the Alpha awkwardly follows after shutting the door behind them. They stare at each other awkwardly for several moments before Dipper moves to rub the back of his neck.

"I um...do you want me to hold you until you fall asleep?"

Will nods, feeling his heart flutter in his chest as he watches the Alpha slip off his shoes and crawl onto the bed next to him. It's the first time Dipper has been in his room since he's moved in and the first time they've been on a bed together. The implication makes Will's face heat as he watched the other boy carefully.

"Um." Dipper cleared his throat when his voice reflected his nervousness. "You can just lay on me if that's comfortable for you. I'll keep watch until you fall asleep."

"Th-thank you." Will slowly moves closer before he's nuzzled into the Alpha's chest with an arm awkwardly wrapped around a soft tummy. An arm wraps around his upper back and holds him in a protective hold. It makes his heart sing and he smiles widely as he snuggles his face further into the soft thin shirt. 

It's been a while now since he'd come to the manor. It was nearing the end of his second week and things were slowly becoming easier for him to handle and understand. And, as he'd slowly come to realize with every stolen glance he made toward the Alpha, with every moment he caught himself daydreaming about the other boy, it slowly came to him that maybe, possibly...he'd been falling for the boy. Where his nightmares left him anxious, the first person he'd think of when he woke up was Dipper. He'd taken to spending more and more time with the boy, to a point where they were almost inseparable now. Even in this moment, with them awkwardly snuggling on his bed, he felt more comfortable and happy than he'd even realized he could be. 

He wanted to spend time with the other boy because it made him happy to do so. Maybe it was the hormones, maybe it was because he hadn't really spent much time with anyone else, but he really did enjoy listening to Dipper's rants about science or when the Alpha would listen to him about his hometown. He slowly wondered if maybe, just maybe, Dipper really was the Alpha he'd dreamed him to be all those years.

One thing that continued to strike his curiosity, however, was the "bad past" everyone had referenced when he'd first met Dipper. No one said anything since then, and Dipper himself remained silent on the subject (not that he'd really asked), but he did notice the boy seemed to have a horrible sleep schedule as well. Dipper would be roaming the halls during the hours of the early morning in his pajamas when Will would wake up from a nightmare and sneak to the kitchen for a glass of water. The insomnia didn't seem to affect the Alpha's performance whatsoever, but Will wondered what continued to haunt the boy to a point of even preventing him from sleeping properly. Jokingly, he wondered if helping Dipper sleep might help his own nightmares. 

When he looks up to possibly ask about it, he instead smiles warmly at the sweet sight of Dipper fast asleep, arms wrapped around him tightly and jaw slack as he leans lazily against the headboard. Will isn't sure when the Alpha had fallen asleep, but he decides to stay up for a moment longer to admire the boy. He raises a hand to gently move soft, curly brown bangs and his eyebrows raise when he sees a faint birthmark on the boy's forehead. It resembles the constellation of the Big Dipper, which finally clicks as to how the boy obtained his nickname. He slowly leans forward and kisses the Alpha's forehead tenderly. Soft snores fill the air between them, assuring him that the Alpha wouldn't know about it in the morning. He wished he could take a picture of the Alpha, wished he could keep this moment forever, but he just moves down to cuddle back into the Alpha's stomach and hug him in snug grip. Quiet snores stutter for a moment before he feels the body shift lower and hug him snugly to a warm chest. 

His cheeks heat in response and he can feel a goofy grin spread across his face as his eyes droop closed. Dipper kisses the top of his head in his sleep and Will finds himself purring happily as he eventually drifts back into sleep. Nightmares escape him this time. 

The next morning Dipper is gone, sadly, but to Will's surprise it's one in the afternoon. He blinks and rubs his eyes, glancing around the room blearily after looking at the clock on his nightstand. He's never slept in this late in his life, save for the few times he'd been really exhausted and even then it was only until 11AM. He yawns before pushing the blankets off, groaning at the crick in his neck and the way his joints crack when he stretches. He slides off the bed before lifting his foot hurriedly when he steps on something strange. 

The source of his sudden shock is a strange patch that's half buried under his bed. His eyebrows furrow as he leans over and lifts it, eyes scanning the strange designs of what looks like some sort of government science department. 

"Weirdmageddon Lab" is stitched neatly on the bottom of the patch in white writing. He feels a chill run down his spine when his eyes meet a single eye of a triangle symbol at the top of the patch. He doesn't know why it makes him so uncomfortable, or why he even cares so much, but something pulls him to his laptop. He opens it, pinching the patch between two fingers as he types in the words on the patch on a search engine with his other free hand. 

The first article that came up made his blood run cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IRU KH LV WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI WKH HQG
> 
> Finals are finally over \\(-w-)/


	8. An Alpha's View

"How have things been going with your Omega?"

Dipper turned from his position in the living room to see Stanley approach him. He closed his book and placed it on his lap, hiding the cover as best he could from the older Alpha's gaze.

"They're going well."

"He hasn't tried to run away yet? That's a surprise." Stanley smirked before reaching a hand forward and ruffling the younger's hair. Dipper groaned before working on making it presentable once again. 

"Truthfully, it's surprised me, too."

"I was kidding, kid. You're annoying, but you're not that annoying. There's plenty of people that would be happy to be your mate."

"Yes, well, this one is the one that matters." Dipper sighed. "I'm not entirely sure how to proceed from this point."

"Hm?" The older man sighed as he sat down on the couch beside Dipper, relaxing his muscles as he moved to watch the younger male. Dipper pursed his lips, thinking over his words carefully.

"I believe I have...feelings for him." Dipper avoided the gaze of the older man. "And while I'm not entirely sure how they came to be, I find the most terrifying aspect of it is determining if he shares those same emotions."

"I'm sure he does. He follows you around everywhere." 

"But how much of that is just Omega nature?" 

"Mason." Dipper turned to Stanley. "You're overthinking it, kid."

Stanley cracked his neck before leaning back further against the couch. Golden ringed fingers rested on the spine of the couch before one scratched the stubble on the man's jaw.

"Love is only as hard as you make it. From what it seems to me, you're doing just fine. I think your best bet is to just tell him."

"Hm." Dipper nodded absently. They sat in silence for a moment as Dipper mulled over the information. He'd have to ask his sister for more personal advice. His great-uncle wasn't the greatest source for romantic advice, but the man tried his best. Mabel was more attuned to affection and romance than either males, so she would be his best bet. The older Alpha cleared his throat before stretching once again.

"Oh, by the way." Dipper turned to look at Stanley curiously. "Stanford is coming in later tonight. He said he needed o speak with you when he got home about some strange occurrences or something that his computers have been picking up on in the area."

"Really?"

"Mhm. Just don't keep him up too late. You know how my brother can be." 

"I know, Stanley."

"You're both exactly the same." Stanley rolled his eyes with a smirk as he slowly stood up from the couch. "Just don't stay up too late, brainiac." 

"Can't make any promises." 

"Psh." Stanley huffed. "Where's William?"

"I'm not sure. He wasn't in his room this morning." 

"And Mabel's not here either?"

"No."

"You realize you left your mate with your eccentric sister, right?" Stanley looked at him skeptically.

"...She won't do anything." 

"You're a confident man, Dipper."

And with that, Dipper watched the older alpha yawn and drag his feet out of the room. He turned his attention back to the book, trapping his lower lip between one of his fangs before standing and tucking it under his arm. 

Romance was something that escaped Dipper completely. He had to research it, as humiliating as it was to not be knowledgeable in something that seemed like a simple concept. He'd never had the want or need to learn or experiment with it until Will, but with the Omega he'd felt an absolute need to impress. 

His first instinct had been to puff his chest out and seem tough, so he did so. However, that had backfired and seemed to only scare William out of enjoying being around him. His second tactic had been through talking about things he liked the most, but even he could tell a lot of it went over the omega's head. He couldn't be mad about it because not everyone knew a lot about quantum mechanics and it's importance to the world. So, he'd settled for a third plan - making William Cipher fall in love with him. 

The recent, most progressive, move that they'd made in their relationship had been snuggling on Will's bed. Dipper's heart had nearly pounded out of his chest and truthfully, he hadn't been able to get the night out of his head since. Will had insisted his nightmare had been meaningless long after the incident, but the throbbing in his heart at the feeling of the Omega's warmth against him lingered heavily on his mind. He'd turned to the only source he truly trusted - books - to learn about alpha mating behaviors and...well...romance. Kissing seemed entirely embarrassing if a subject to read about, but he wanted it more than anything with Will. Therefore, he'd read and reread the section on proper kissing a good several times, had even mesmerized it. That still didn't give him the courage or ability to create a plan for leading up to it, however. That would be where Mabel came in.

She had more experience than he did at this sort of thing. While he had been promised, Mabel had been free to mingle and experiment with people in town. She was always more social than he was, so it was not a surprise to him when he'd caught her making out with a beta in town. It was truly disgusting to witness, but he didn't get involved. He hadn't planned on this sliver of information being useful until now, so he was only remotely grateful for having witnessed the interesting...behavior. 

Truthfully, Dipper's entire perspective on his mate had changed. He wanted an adventurous mate who would be boastful and eccentric, would go on adventures with him and research various things alongside him. Now, though, he found he wanted nothing more than to have Will by his side. Will, the quiet omega who he dreamed would run slim fingers through his hair as they cuddled at night. Will, the quick witted boy who would be timid at times, but also incredibly quick to respond with a snarky comment if he said something inappropriate. Will, the Omega that had changed his views on Omegas completely. 

His worst nightmare would be mating the omega when he wouldn't have any actual love for him back. It was why he'd refrained from moving too quickly or even mating him immediately as often recommended by mating specialists that had spoken to him prior to Will's arrival. No, he didn't want this beautiful Omega to resent him in any way. Will was sweet and refreshing, something he wanted to cherish for the rest of his life.

So, he'd settled for courting. He'd left books of things Will had mentioned at his door or in places he could find them, he'd waited patiently for the Omega in the mornings to greet him, and they'd made their daily walks a pattern to talk about various things or to...well, serve as an excuse for Dipper to scent him. That was another thing - scenting Will was one of the most addicting things Dipper had ever experienced in his life. He knew it was because they weren't mated that his hormones made scenting even more enticing. Here Will was, an unmated Omega with a beautiful scent and a sweet disposition, promised to him and him only. He didn't want to mess this up. 

He'd almost done so several times in the beginning, but they'd made it through the rough patch. Now, Dipper wanted more. He wanted to hold Will's hand when they walked through the woods. He wanted to snuggle with the Omega at night and hell, even during the day. He wanted to...well, he wanted to experience his first kiss with Will as well. And, one day, make this Omega officially his. 

He slid the book back onto the bookshelf before making his way down the hallway. Mabel would most likely be done with harassing his future mate by now, probably teasing the poor omega or something of the like, so it would be the perfect opportunity to ask her for advice. As expected, when he opened her door he was greeted with the female alpha sprawled on her bed, bored eyes scanning the page of a magazine before meeting his own. A smirk spread across her lips as she sat up.

"I see you've finally come for relationship advice."

"This was a bad idea." Dipper huffed and turned around.

"No! Brother, come on! I'll help!"

The male alpha stopped and turned to her in exasperation.

"I won't tease, just come here."

Dipper closed the door behind him before making his way to an open spot on the navy blue sheets. He sat down carefully, watching his sister sit up and smile mischievously at him.

"So, how can I be of service?" 

"I need to know how to...er..." Dipper glared at the ground. "How to kiss." 

"Brother, you've never...?"

Silence rested between them for a beat too long before Dipper tried to move to get up. Mabel wrapped a hand into the crook of Dipper's elbow before forcing him back onto the bed.

"Brother, calm down. It's not that big of a deal." Mabel rolled her eyes. "It's not hard, but knowing you, you've already researched a dozen scientific articles on it."

Silence.

"My god, Dipper you're so predictable."

"Just tell me and stop patronizing me." Dipper hissed.

"I mean, it's not hard. You just press your lips against his." She tapped the tip of her pointer finger against her chin. "I mean, that's the best way to start. Really, he is the best practice partner because he's really the only person you'll be kissing. Also, he doesn't really have much experience so..."

"So what you're telling me is this was a waste of my time?" 

"I mean, you didn't come here to just ask about kissing, did you?"

"...no."

"That's what I thought. So, what else did you need help with?"

"I need you to help me...be romantic."

"Be romantic?" She shifted on the bed and tilted her head slightly. He hated that her grin seemed to mock him.

"I would like to take William on a proper date and I'm not sure how to do so."

"Well, you've come to the right person, brother. I'll teach you everything you need to know." 

"I'd rather it not be everything. I do have standards." 

He yelped slightly when a hand slapped hard against his arm. 

"What a pain! You're lucky you're my twin or I'd be happy to kick you out of this house right now for such a comment."

"Lucky me."

Silence rested between them for a second before Mabel's smile returned.

"I told you that you'd end up liking him."

"Shut up."

"Do you love him yet?"

"I thought you were going to teach me how to be romantic?"

"Romance starts with love, Dip. So for me to continue, you have to answer the question."

"And that is?"

"Do you love him?"

"Mabel, it's only been a couple of weeks."

She stared at him expectedly. He felt his face heat as he stumbled and rambled through various defensive statements.

"Why is this even important? It's not. I can just go research this. Romance isn't that hard to do. There's plenty of books on it. So I don't need to answer that question. I don't need your help."

"You do!" Mabel's fangs showed as she smiled a toothy grin. "You're in love with him!"

"Mabel, that's not even-"

"Should I go get the wedding rings now or have you already bought them? Have you started scribbling his initials into hearts?" She snorted when he huffed and stormed out of her room. "Dip, come back!"

"I'll return when you aren't acting like a child!" He growled before storming down the hallway. He could smell Will's scent from his room, so it was comforting to know the Omega was safe and his scent didn't reflect any obvious distress. 

However, a familiar smell gripped his senses and he quickly ran down the large staircase to the sight of his mentor and great-uncle chatting animatedly with Stanley.

"Stanford!"

The older man turned and smirked up at him.

"Mason! Just the boy I wanted to see!"

Dipper quickly made his way down before slapping his hand into the Stanford's and shaking his hand strongly.

"We have a lot to discuss."

"Stanley informed me."

"Before you two get all science-obsessed," Stanley eyes them both suspiciously, "Remember you promised that you'd be in bed sleeping by midnight. Stanford, you have to meet William tomorrow so don't try to wiggle your way out of sleeping, and Dipper, you haven't spent time with your mate today so you need to keep it short so you can go spend time with William."

Stanford and Dipper groaned before agreeing, grumbling under their breath as Stanford led them to his office. Stanley just folded his arms over his chest and watched them glare back at him in a tantrum.

"Anyways" Stanford sighed in relief as he seated himself on the desk chair. "We have a problem."

"A problem?" The younger alpha seated himself in front of Stanford's desk.

"As Stanley probably told you earlier, I've been picking up on some weird occurrences in the area. Strange wavelengths. I've seen it once before, but it would be impossible for it to be introduced back into the area randomly."

"What is it?"

"It's not important until we prove it actually is what I think it is. What's important is that...well, do you remember McGucket?"

"Your old research partner? Yes."

"Well, he's been informing me of some strange things that have been happening recently in Ursidae beyond my computer readings. Have you seen anything weird happening?"

"Well, Will and I have been making trips through the forest and I avoid any of our normal routes but at night when I make my rounds I've been noticing some strange things." 

"Like what?" Stanford leaned in, eyebrows furrowed as he listened carefully. 

"Recently I noticed a strange pattern drawn in that clearing that we visited before."

"Pattern?"

"Yes, like a summoning circle."

"And you're sure it wasn't one of the locals?"

"That's the thing. I don't think the locals could have done something like this."

"What did it look like? What was it made of? Describe it. Did you get a picture of it?"

"I did. Here." Dipper pulled his phone out. Fingers tapped various parts of the screen before he slid it on the table close to the older man. "Look, it's nothing like I've seen before."

Stanford narrowed his eyes as he scratched his chin. He studied the picture for a moment longer before handing the phone back to Dipper. 

"What was it made out of?"

"Deer blood."

"Deer blood?" Stanford looked at Dipper curiously.

"The carcass hasn't been too far from the area."

"Hm. Odd. McGucket had informed me that the gravity in some parts of the forest had shifted and made some things levitate for brief periods of time but I don't think he saw this. We'll have to keep an eye out for anything else strange that might occur. For now, I'd recommend not taking your mate into the forest, even during the day. Maybe take him into town or something in the meantime until we figure this out and secure the area."

"Sounds good." Dipper stood and stopped before heading to the door. "Oh, and Stanford. I'm glad you're back. I hope your trip went well."

"It was the usual protocol and symposium events. Nothing too special. I'm just happy to be home." The older man smiled as Dipper nodded and waved before leaving him behind. 

Dipper shut the door and sighed. A lot had been going on since Will's arrival and he'd sincerely hoped he'd done a good job hiding this part of Ursidae Falls from his mate. He didn't want Will to be exposed to it until...well, until it was absolutely necessary. For now, though, he'd settle for another few minutes of cuddling and reading with Will. Hopefully this time his blush wouldn't be so obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehzduh wkh lqqrfhqw rqh


	9. Odd Suspicions and Strange Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any grammatical errors in this chapter, it hasn't been beta'd and I won't have time to do so for a week or so! Also, the chapter update next week will come a little later (a day or two only!) because I'll be on the road for a bit! But otherwise, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and drop me a comment to tell me what you think (I love reading them so much!)!

"Ah. Good morning, William." 

"Hi, Dipper." Will smiled shyly. 

The alpha stood awkwardly in front of his bedroom door, opening his mouth to say something else but failing. Will thought it was cute, but he was beginning to have his reservations. The patch in his jeans pocket felt heavy, holding with it doubts and insecurities toward the family that he hadn't had prior. 

Dipper awkwardly held his hand out between them and Will stared down at it curiously before it clicked. He felt his heart flutter despite his insecurities and he moved to rest his hand in Dipper's. The alpha blushed as he stepped closer to allow their hands to fall between them. 

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not really." 

His dreams since finding the patch were even more graphic than the others. He could feel the cold of a metal table on his bare back, could see the silhouettes of people hovering over him in some sort of laboratory setting. He struggled to fight the bindings as one silhouette always came closer, threatening to inject something into him before everything went dark. Sometimes he would wake up then, but other times he would be greeted by a strange voice that continued to speak in a tongue he couldn't understand. 

Only once, in an ethereal voice, had it spoken to him in a way he could understand, but the uneasiness he felt at the meaning sent shivers down his spine.

"That boy is not what you think he is."

Since then, he'd felt a little anxious around Dipper. Sure, it could just be his anxiety over being in a new place, still adjusting to all of the changes, but the voice seemed to ring in his head whenever he was with Dipper. He doubted his words, but his omega instincts pushed those thoughts away whenever he was around the alpha for long periods of time. 

Dipper had done nothing wrong. The alpha was always comforting and always trying (in his own way) to make him smile. Dipper had even found a way to get Will a phone to contact his parents more often when Will had admitted to being homesick. Of course, by mating policy, he couldn't see his parents until they were mated, but Dipper tried his best to make things easier for him. 

He didn't tell his parents about the dreams, but he did tell them things were going alright. His mom was happy to hear he was happy and he'd even talked to his dad a few times. Truthfully, he couldn't wait to see his parents again, but he also very much feared the thought of mating so soon. His parents told him not to rush and to take his time if his alpha let him, but he could tell his parents were highly relieved he was getting along with the alpha. 

He turned to glance at Dipper every so often as they walked down the hallway. Dipper had tried to make him feel more at home, greeting him every morning (in an attempt to keep Will from feeling lonely, he assumed) and every so often allowing Will his own alone time if Dipper had sensed he needed it. He hadn't forced anything beyond scenting, which continued to baffle him immensely. 

For now, though, it was a lazy Sunday morning and the kitchen staff wouldn't come in until lunch. Dipper had gently nudged him into the smaller living room area where they'd rested before and Will could see that the ashes of wood were cleaned out from the night before. Dipper reluctantly let go of his hand to gesture to the tray of food set out for him on the small coffee table.

"Er...I know you usually skip breakfast on weekends but I thought...you might..." The alpha rubbed the back of his neck anxiously but Will smiled.

"I really a-appreciate it, thank you." Will smiled brightly up at the alpha.

Dipper blushed and looked away before taking a seat next to him on the couch. Will carefully snagged a blueberry muffin from the tray of various pastries and juices before moving back to rest against the couch cushions. Dipper eyed him for a second before grabbing a croissant and following suit.

Will bit into the soft pastry as his mind weighed his options. He could ask Dipper about the patch, follow his instincts and trust the alpha despite his logical reluctance, or he could keep the patch a secret and possibly mistrust the alpha for no actual reason. He stared at Dipper for a long moment, watching Dipper chew slowly on the pastry before he sighed. What was he doing? Mistrusting someone that had treated him so kindly? He swallowed his bite of muffin before placing it on the table. Dipper looked at it questioningly before turning to Will for a silent explanation.

"I-I um...I have s-something to ask."

"Yes?" Dipper looked concerned, placing his own pastry down to look at Will with undivided attention. 

"I f-found something. In my room."

"Oh?" Dipper's cyan eyes watched Will hesitantly pull the patch out of his pocket. Dipper squinted his eyes a bit as Will slowly held it out to him.

Will watched his reaction carefully, but Dipper just maintained a blank expression. The boy rubbed a thumb over the front of the patch, barely pursing his lips.

"Where did you find this?"

"Under m-my bed." 

Dipper flipped the patch over, glancing at the back before looking at the front once again.

"Do y-you know...what it is?" 

"I'm...not entirely sure." Will thought he could hear a hint of something behind the answer. "I think it belongs to Stanford." 

Stanford, the man he'd seen when he looked up the patch's origins. He'd yet to meet this man, though Will had known he'd returned to the manor the night before. He knew he'd meet the man today and something about that made him anxious. 

"I can ask him about it if you like." Dipper finally turned to look at him.

"I-I was just curious. It had a r-really weird name." 

"Weirdmaggedon lab." Dipper read aloud with a small smirk. "It is strange, isn't it? Sounds like a play on words." 

Will watched Dipper slide the patch into his pocket before moving to rest a hand over his.

"Thank you for telling me, I'll tell you if Stanford says anything. It could just be a joke from his college days, honestly." 

Will knew that was a lie, but he decided not to say anything. The alpha looked like he knew more about it than he was letting on, but Will wasn't entirely sure if that was just from his previous paranoia from his nightmares. If Dipper believed he didn't know anything about it then he would prefer keep it that way for now. For all he knew, Dipper probably didn't know anything about it and he was just imagining things. It would be odd, however, for Dipper to not know of his uncle's scientific past. 

From what Will had seen, Stanford was a man to be reckoned with. He'd performed several critical experiments that changed the science of ABO Dynamics but it came at a strange cost according to a few unusual sources. Conspiracy theorists stated the man had been forced into early retirement after some illegal experiments he'd performed on a few unknown patients. The websites didn't go into extreme detail, but he was truly curious as to what exactly the truth was. He couldn't outwardly ask, and with Dipper's strange behavior toward the subject, he was beginning to question what the truth really was about this family. Perhaps it was just Stanford, an estranged man, or maybe it was the entire family. It could even just be gossip made to tarnish his reputation, but it still left Will with a chill down his spine. 

Dipper brushed his thumb over Will's knuckles when the Omega was oddly quiet. 

"So, I was thinking..." Will tilted his head slightly as Dipper continued, "You haven't been to town yet, nor have you met any of the townspeople and perhaps it would be a good opportunity as any to buy you some new clothes as well." 

"I don't really n-need new clothes." They were worn but not unwearable.

"Well...er, I'd like to be able to provide you with new clothes, if that's alright. As your alpha, I have to, you know, provide for you and make sure you're comfortable." 

Will bit down his smile. Dipper kicked the tip of his shoe against the rug, looking anywhere but at Will in that moment. Will could still see Dipper's blush and it made his heart warm. 

"I can't f-fight that logic." 

"Perfect." Dipper turned to grin happily at him, clearly thrilled with his answer. "Stanford is still sleeping, so you'll be able to meet him when we get back. I'll go get Mabel and then we can head out, okay?"

"Okay." 

Will watched the alpha slowly release their hands before moving out of the room. He just stared after him before sighing. 

It's not that he didn't trust Dipper, but there were a lot of things that seemed so strange about this family and about the town in general. Dipper himself was a little odd, with this dark past that he never spoke of and avoided whenever Will tried to bring it up. Add the strange things he'd been finding around the house and his odd nightmares, as well as the eerie feeling he got whenever he was in the forest, and Will was filled with anxious suspicion. He really did try to believe it was just homesickness, but there was just something about Ursidae Falls that continued to claw at his mind. 

He couldn't shake the feeling that this place reminded him of something, but he knew he'd never been here before. It was probably just a symptom of cabin fever from being in the same house for so long, so perhaps getting out and seeing the town would help fight this oddly uncomfortable feeling of pseudo familiarity. He heard Mabel's voice echo through the hall and he slowly moved to stand, abandoning the barely consumed muffin on the table. It still felt weird doing so, but Dipper had insisted it was perfectly fine. Will still felt like a guest in this large manor, not an actual resident. 

He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever feel at home in the Gleeful household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iru kh kdv vrphwklqj klgghq zlwklq


	10. New In Town

The town was just as strange as the bus stop that Will had seen when he first arrived. It was oddly antique, with pale wooden buildings and quaint shops that surrounded some sort of statue in the center of town. It looked like the buildings had been restored from when the town was first founded, giving the air a strangely eerie feeling. Some buildings were made with dark red bricks and polished metal that had rust at the edges of some of the dark metal. Tall pine trees surrounded the small town square, leaving it with an even stranger feeling as Will followed Dipper out of the car. He glanced around the parking lot, surprised at the lack of cars but large amount of people roaming carelessly around the sidewalks. It was nothing like the city he'd grown up on, especially since everyone was greeting each other in passing or laughing in clumped groups. The townspeople themselves looked different than the Gleeful family. A lot of them looked a lot like Soos and Wendy from the kitchen staff, but the rest of them were nothing like the people from his hometown. Some looked like mutation humans, with piercing eyes like Dipper's or crooked smiles like Mabel's. He wondered if maybe he was just the foreigner in this situation and that it was just the norm in this strange town. 

Dipper offered a hand as Will slid out, helping the omega to stand as his feet landed on dusty sand. Dipper's hand squeezed his own only once before letting go, which made Will a little curious as to why. Dipper had been so eager to hold his hand the entire way there but once they'd walked into the cheerful stares of the townspeople, Dipper had immediately become oddly silent and distant.

"Why, if it ain't Dipper and Mabel Gleeful!"

Will turned to watch two uniformed officers stroll up to their car, grinning excitedly at the Gleeful twins. One is a larger man with a sheriff hat, reeking of an almost overwhelmingly strong Beta scent that Will didn't even know was possible for Betas to have. It was enough for Will to scrunch his nose a little at first, though no part of him felt like submitting at the demanding scent. The second one, a tall skinny man in a regular uniform, had a softer reflection of the Beta's scent. The sight of their badges and uniforms still made him a little anxious despite their bright smiles but he smiles when he realizes they're mates upon the sight of a faded mate mark on the taller man's neck under a neatly pressed dark green collar. 

They're nothing like the cops back home, who would glare and growl at anyone they deemed suspicious or in warning. These officers were different, happier and way friendlier as they turned to greet Will happily despite their crisp uniforms that betrayed their sweet dispositions.

"Now, this can't be the new possible mate of one of y'all, is it?" The Beta places his hands on his hips and tips his sunglasses down to smile at Will. Will finds himself smiling at the sheriff. 

"Why, it just so happens to be the very one." Mabel quickly pipes in, side-eyeing her brother with a smirk.

"Really! Have you guys decided which one of you will mate with him?" The tall Omega turned to Will with a grin. "Do you know which one?"

Will glanced at Dipper before swallowing thickly. He wasn't sure why suddenly he felt so awkward but by the way the twins had avoided the truth, he was beginning to get nervous trying to think up a false answer. His face grew hot as time went on and he could feel his palms sweat as he tried to open his mouth to answer. Dipper chuckled, breaking the officer's optimistic gazes away from Will. 

"Will's still pretty new to the area, so we don't want to scare him off with makin' him choose." 

Will have Dipper a weird look but didn't say anything. Why were they avoiding the truth? Will and Dipper had been promised to each other since they were young, why was it made to seem like this wasn't the case to these officers? Was there a reason for this? 

"Oh geez, look at that, we're so rude. My name's Sheriff Blubs. And this is my mate and partner, Deputy Garland." 

 

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you both." Will smiles shyly in return. "I'm Will."

"Well, you're awfully sweet. I'm happy to know one of the twins' will end up with such a sweet boy." 

This makes Will blush even darker and he turns to Dipper for support. The Alpha glanced at him briefly before smiling back at the officer. 

"The pleasure's all ours." Dipper places a hand on Will's shoulder and it helps the Omega relax a bit before it slides off. "Now, if you'll please excuse us, we're taking Will on a little bit of a tour around town. He's never been around these parts before."

"Really? Have a fun time then! And if you ever need anything Will, feel free to give us a shout." Deputy Durland smiled before Dipper led them away. 

What surprises Will most about the town is just how excited all the townspeople are to see the twins. Mabel ate it up, though that's not really a surprise, coming from the twin who prided herself on her confidence. Small pups run up to greet them on the street, lifting small pieces of paper and pens for the twins to use as autograph material. Will notices that Mabel always puts little hearts next to the fan's name and Dipper always leaves a small symbol, a pine tree, next to his own. It's another question he plans on asking the alpha later when they're alone. 

Will allows the twins to continue in their celebrity activities on the street, still curious as to how they gained such loving admiration. He slips away after a small motion to Dipper before making his way through a smaller, secluded alleyway. His thoughts wander as he gently kicks at a water bottle laying in the middle of the area. It taps against the ground and rolls into a piece of paper laying on the ground near a puddle. He makes his way closer and squints as he looks down at the oddly eccentric pamphlet strewn out on the cobblestone floor. 

He doesn't know why, but he decides to kneel over and read it. In large print on the top, it reads "WELCOME TO URSIDAE FALLS" in a strangely old font. In the center is a detailed drawing of the town and water tower and on the sides read the various activities you can participate in the town. 

"Home of the Golden Bear" 

He thinks he remembered seeing a statue that resembled a bear in the center of town. He decides he'll check it out in a minute. 

"Tent of Telepathy" 

He tilts his head as he sees a picture of Mabel and Dipper under this and an excited description of how the twins "perform thrilling magic tricks and intense psychic readings". Well, that explains the fan base. Though Will hadn't seen the twins perform once, nor even mention the show, so he wonders how old this pamphlet must be. The twins don't look too old in the photo, but it's hard to tell from the water damage. 

He turns to look at the font written neatly along the bottom, but his breath hitches when he reads it the first time.

"WELCOME TO URSIDAE FALLS...but beware, nothing is as it seems." 

He blinks and the phrase is gone, replaces with the actual town motto. He stares at it for a long moment before straightening and glancing around the alleyway. That seemed to be an occurring idea with him - in his dreams, his thoughts, and his feelings. He pursed his lips before shoving the ominous thought aside. 

Footsteps behind him make him jump and turn around to see Dipper locking eyes with him and walking toward him.

"Will, what are you doing down here?"

"A-Ah, sorry." Will takes a final glance down at the pamphlet before walking toward the alpha. "I got a little lost." 

Dipper smiled at him sympathetically. 

"I'm sorry about all that. You're probably really confused."

Will nodded. Dipper gestured for him to follow and he obeyed. They left the alleyway and Will could see Mabel still chatting happily with fans. 

"Our family was one of the first families in the town. Some say we even established and founded it, though no one knows for sure." Dipper smirked at him. 

That explains the strange artifacts he found around the manor. If the Gleeful family really dated back that long in Ursidae Falls, of course they would have come into possession of several artifacts around town. 

"Though, some believe it was a magical shape-shifting beast that founded the town."

"B-Beast?" 

"Mhm. The myth says that there was a beast that could shift into a man and he had tricked many to inhabit the area and build the city for him. Then, they say the original inhabitants suddenly disappeared and it was later taken over by the Gleeful family and others soon followed. Though, some say the beast is still alive and roams the forest at night, looking for humans to trick into doing his bidding and later, get eaten." 

Will stared at Dipper in shock and the alpha laughed at his response.

"It's just a scary story parents tell their pups to keep them from sneaking out at night, don't worry." Dipper smiled when Will gulped.

Beast. In the woods. At night. He laughed nervously but his blood had gone cold. 

"Anyway, that's part of the reason we're so well known in this town. The other is that we usually hold a magic show every week on a property not too far from town."

"Oh?" Will tried to push down the fear in his veins to listen about this show. 

"We started it when we were 12 to beat boredom when we first moved to Ursidae Falls." Dipper looked away. "The townspeople loved it, and it helped us meet everyone, so we did it for a while. At one point we were going to end it, but the mayor petitioned for us to keep it going because it attracted tourists for the town."

"Really? That's a-amazing." Will complimented. 

"Thank you. We haven't had one since you arrived because around this time we usually take a few weeks off to enjoy the summer a bit. We'll be doing one sometime this week so you'll get to come see me perform." Dipper seemed genuinely excited about this which warmed Will's chest. 

"I-I look forward to seeing it." 

The alpha rumbled as they walked across the street, passing Mabel. Will glances down between them, returning to wondering why the alpha was treating him so differently out of the manor. When clear cyan eyes meet his, though, he decides not to ruin the moment with a distrustful question. Dipper looks at him like he's the world and that's all that really matters to him, he decides. 

"Oh, I w-wanted to ask," he rubs his elbow out of habit, "why do you sign your autographs with trees?"

"Oh, the pine tree? It kindof started when I was little. There was a good friend of mine that nicknames me 'Pine Tree' when we first moved here but he would never really explain it before he suddenly disappeared one day. The nickname didn't stick like 'Dipper' did, but I had already signed my name with it when he left so I just stuck with it."

Will's eyebrows furrowed slightly. This town really was...peculiar, wasn't it? 

"Do you know happened to y-your friend?"

"I'm not sure. We met under strange circumstances and he left under weird ones, as well. Mabel says he was just a figment of my imagination, and maybe he was, but I never really forgot about him."

"Hm." Will nodded absently. Something about that made him...weary. 

"I promise I'm not crazy." Dipper smirked at him. "Though I did have a pretty active imagination when I was younger." 

Will laughed to ease the mood. Dipper seemed to accept it, laughing along with him. They were interrupted when a flash of blonde hair caught Will's eye. He turned to see two people approach them and something in him wanted to bristle on instinct. 

Competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iru rqh gdb kh zloo dzdnhq


	11. Instinctual Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, things are really moving along! Sorry for the shorter chapters but big things are comin', eheheh!

"Dipdop!"

"Paz, wait up!" 

Will clenched his jaw at the sweet scent that wafted from the female omega approaching them. Something about her made the hair on his arms stand and he moved a little closer to Dipper in response. He's not sure why he's so protective suddenly, but the female omega makes him irritably possessive. She skids to a stop in front of them, grinning widely as she places her hands on her hips.

"Well, long time no see, ya dork!"

"Pacifica." Dipper states evenly, tilting his head slightly. "We saw each other just last summer." 

"'We saw each other just last summer', Dip you're so stoic. Don't you care that it's been a whole year?" She shakes her head playfully at him before turning to Will. "Oh my gosh, hello!"

Will nearly yelps when his hand is suddenly engulfed in slightly sweaty ones. He feels like his arm is about to be removed from its socket from how aggressively Pacifica is shaking his hand, but it does surface a little bit of guilt at his angered reaction from earlier when he sees how innocently happy she is.

"My name's Pacifica Southeast, though most call me Paz! What's your name! Dipper, you didn't tell me you had a new friend!"

"My n-name's Will. I'm Dipper's-er. I'm his friend." The omega cut himself off from continuing and saying his true relationship with the alpha. He glanced at Dipper for a response but Pacifica refocused his attention. 

"Will! That's such a cute name! Where are you from? Where are you living? When did you move here?"

"Paz, you're gonna scare him off." The omega next to her sighed before turning to smile sympathetically at him. "Sorry, she consumed like ten packets of Smile Dip before we got here. Oh, uh, my name's Gideon...Gideon Pines."

Will accepted his hand, shaking it gently. He wasn't sure why he didn't feel any sort of rivalry with Gideon, especially since it was clear the two were in the same family from their similar scents alone, but he pushed the thought aside. They both seemed really nice, so maybe it was just a reaction from meeting all these new people suddenly. He easily could be misjudging the entire thing, but his instincts insisted that he remain cautious of Pacifica. 

"Well, if it isn't the omega who got away."

Will turned to see Mabel strut over to them, smirking at Gideon. He looked at the male omega curiously, tilting his head when Gideon's face slowly flushed a bright red. 

"Hi, my love." She smiled as she placed her hands on her hips when she stopped next to Will. 

"S-Stop calling me that." Gideon's eyebrows furrowed in embarrassment as he scowled away from them.

"How've you guys been doing since we've been gone? Anything exciting or the same old boring stuff you always do?" Pacifica eyed Dipper with a smirk that Will swore he couldn't mistaken as anything other than flirtatious. He bit back the soft growl that threatened to escape him.

"Nothing beyond introducing William around the town and helping him adjust." Dipper clasps a hand on Will's shoulder and the omega relaxed slightly at the touch. 

"Oh? That's cool! Are you not from here, Will?" Pacifica smiles at Will with the brightest smile he's ever seen.

"A-ah, no, I'm f-from quite a ways away." Will subtly presses himself against Dipper, reveling in the comforting weight of the alpha's hand on his shoulder. 

"Really! We are, too!" The female omega grins. "We're from California! Well, Piedmont to be more specific. It's really nice, have you ever been?"

Will shook his head. Pacifica was oddly loud for an omega, but not entirely in the worst of ways. Just very bright and positive, something Will rarely saw in Omegas he'd met. He was also curious as to why she didn't seem to have a mate mark on her neck or the smell of an alpha. Something about that made his stomach unsettle.

"You should go sometime! I don't know if this dork told you yet but we come every summer cause Gid's dad, my uncle, lives here and we come visit when Gid's not living with me in California during the year."

"Uncle...?"

"Yeah, Bud Pines, the proud owner of that awesome tourist shack down the road! Full of mysteries and cool dinosaur bones! You should come by sometime!" She turned to Dipper. "And you, too. You promised me last summer you would come."

"I don't remember this promise." 

"Mhm." Pacifica folded her arms over her chest with a playful smirk. "You're coming this summer, no buts about it."

"I'll think about it." The Alpha waves his free hand dismissively before removing his hand from Will's shoulder. 

Will watches the interaction suspiciously. He doesn't know why, but he feels the need to scent the alpha possessively in her presence. Her lack of alpha and weird friendliness with Dipper makes him oddly uncomfortable. He doesn't like how Dipper seems to act warmer to her than he did when Will had first come to town, which only fuels his hesitance to relax around the other omega. His only comfort comes from Mabel's clear interest in the other unclaimed omega, giving him some relief that both Omegas won't serve as competition for...oh, this was ridiculous. Why was he worried? He was Dipper's. Dipper wouldn't just return him for this girl...right? He glanced at the alpha hesitantly, suddenly feeling his doubts of the alpha's past and strange behaviors surface.

He didn't truly know a lot about the alpha, nor the beliefs the alpha held. And, with everything that had been going on lately with the strange events around the town and the manor, and the odd visions he'd been getting, he wasn't so sure he could trust something that his instincts were very clearly warning him against. 

More importantly, Dipper had failed to mention these Omegas in the entire time they'd been together. Add that with the odd nature of Dipper and Mabel hiding his true reason for being with them and Will's doubts were beginning to seem more and more reasonable. The only thing that could give away his purpose for being in Ursidae Falls was Dipper's scent on himself, but that could easily be explained as a protection responsibility of a friendly alpha. He turned to observe Dipper's reaction toward Pacifica, only reading subtle annoyance and a soft sigh when the girl continued to pester and banter with him in a bubbly manner. 

He wasn't sure if it was just the fact that he'd only been in the presence of the Gleeful family these past few weeks or if he should be genuinely threatened by Pacifica's presence, so he decided to be patient. He did, however, want to ask Dipper why the alpha had decided to keep their relationship a secret when he was so eager to progress it in private. Was he ashamed of Will? Was he trying to hide him in favor of keeping his options open? That would explain his hesitance to mark or mate him this entire time. Will bit his lower lip nervously as worst-case scenarios came to mind. 

Pacifica perked up before looking to the ground. Will watched her curiously as she pulled out her phone and flicked it open. 

"Oh, oops."

"Oops?" Gideon sighed and eyed her in exasperation. Clearly, this wasn't the first time Pacifica did this. 

"Uncle Bud wanted us home, like, ten minutes ago." She laughed nervously as Gideon gave her an aggravated glare.

"Paz, you're gonna get me grounded."

"It's fine!" She offered a toothy smile before turning back to them. "Sorry, about that! We have to go, but I hope we can hang out soon! And it was nice to meet you, Will!"

Will just nodded with a small smile, watching the female omega half wave to Dipper before bounding off. Gideon groaned before following, waving at them as he ignored Mabel's exaggerated wave back. 

"They're ridiculous." Dipper shook his head before turning to Will. "I'm sorry, they can be a little overwhelming."

"It's o-okay." Will relaxed when he felt the alpha rub his back gently. 

"Pacifica can be a little...out there. And loud. Very loud. Honestly," Dipper turned to Mabel. "I completely forgot about her."

"Wow, brother." Mabel rolled her eyes but Will could tell it held no heat. "The few friends you have and you forget them so easily."

"She...um...she doesn't have an alpha?"

"Oh, no." Dipper shook his head. "Her family is very...er, well their family is very against the traditional arranged marriages. They have enough money so they don't have to worry about it." 

"Oh." Well, just his luck.

"Makes it more fun for me." Mabel smirked as she turned to the two males. 

Dipper shook his head.

"And you say my flirting style is horrendous."

Will looked between them curiously before moving to stare at the retreating figures that ducked into the woods. He decided that he needed to give Pacifica a chance. His instincts had been proven wrong before, and he believed whatever she felt for Dipper wasn't returned. Or, that's what he really tried to believe. 

Either way, he wouldn't let Dipper be alone with her if he had any say in the matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iru kh lv wkh nhb


	12. Golden Fangs and Crushing Paws

Will stared anxiously up at the statue in the center of town. He wasn’t entirely sure what about it sparked his anxiety, but the way its golden jowls snarled down at him didn’t seem to help. He tilted his head slightly as its lifeless eyes stared down at him. One its paw probably weighed more than he did and he briefly entertained the thought of it coming to life. Maybe this was the feared beast of the town, the creator of Ursidae Falls itself. Forever trapped in a tomb of golden slumber. He felt something brush his arm and turned to see Dipper staring at him curiously.

“William, are you alright? You’ve been acting awfully strange today.” 

“Oh, yeah, y-yeah, I’m fine.”

The alpha gave him a disbelieving look and Will smiled meekly.

“I just h-haven’t been sleeping well is all.”

“You haven’t been sleeping well at all since you came here.” Dipper frowned as he watched Will fidget and turn back to stare up at the towering bear in front of them. “Is it your room? Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“N-No…” Will nibbled on his lower lip.

He wasn’t lying, really. It wasn’t the room itself that had kept him sleepless. But even him being off today wasn’t entirely true. The female omega lingered on his mind as he glanced at Dipper.

“William.”

“C-Can I ask you a question?”

Dipper perked up before nodding. Will gnawed on his lip before releasing it from between his teeth. He stared at the sharp fangs of the bear, hoping it would bring him some form of courage.

“Why didn’t you introduce me as your mate to any of the townspeople?” He cracked the joints of his fingers on one of his hand anxiously. “Are you embarrassed of- “

“Not in the slightest.” Dipper cut him off immediately, as if offended by Will’s theory. Will turned and was greeted with a stern look from the alpha. “I would never be embarrassed of you.”

“Then…?”

Dipper licked his lips and turned away, rubbing his hands together before rubbing the back of his ear. Will could see a light hue of red ghost over the boy’s cheeks as piercing eyes moved to meet his own. The alpha’s eyebrows furrowed briefly before Dipper straightened his back and gently kicked dirt.

“Well, er…” He gripped his own wrist and rubbed it. “In complete honesty, it was a horrible attempt to…well, to make you feel less pressured.”

“Less pressured?” Will tilted his head slightly as Dipper nodded.

“Back when, ah, we were preparing for you to come, I had asked Mabel to keep your relationship a subtle piece of knowledge to the town. I wasn’t really sure how you would react to everything, and thinking back on it now it really was ridiculous, but it was a very poor attempt at trying to make you feel less pressured in a new environment.” Dipper sighed. “I hope it didn’t make you feel uncomfortable in any way.”

“N-No, not really.” It was Will’s turn to feel embarrassment heat his cheeks as he gnawed on the inside of his cheek. “I was just curious.”

“Erm, as you can see the town is very…nosy.” Will watched the alpha glance around briefly. “It’s a small-town mentality, really. I had thought it would be easier for you to adapt if things were kept vague, but I…I’m sorry, I miscalculated the consequences.”

Will smiled as the alpha awkwardly stumbled over the apology. His shoulders slumped with relief as he gently leaned to brush against Dipper’s. Dipper returned the smile as leaned forward to brush his nose against Will’s cheek quickly. Will hummed softly between them as they broke away.

“I won’t keep the nature of our relationship a secret anymore if it bothers you, I certainly wouldn’t mind everyone knowing I’ll be your alpha.”

Will felt his face heat even further and he grinned a bashful smile. Dipper rumbled warmly in front of him

“Is that all that was bothering you?” Dipper stroked the inside of his palm with the tips of his fingers.

“Yeah.” It wasn’t, but he was satisfied for the time being.

“Good.”

Will felt his fingers intertwine with the alpha’s before Dipper was tugging him along. He giggled softly as Dipper winked back at him. Will chanced a glance back at the towering golden bear in the center of town, tensing when he swore he saw it move. Its head watched them walk away and Will inhaled sharply before turning back to the boy tugging on his arm. It was just nerves, he was just still anxious from the meeting with those other Omegas, he was fine. Nothing was weird, nothing was weird, _nothing was weird_.

Dipper stopped walking suddenly, almost allowing the omega to tumble into him. He just chuckled when Will barely stopped in time before gesturing to the small store resting in front of them. Will looked at it curiously, eyeing the window displays with weary patience. It was definitely a store he wouldn’t even think of entering back home, with its gorgeous displays of suits and dresses that were marked far above what he could afford. He never even bothered entering one to save his parents the stress, finding comfort in shopping only when he truly needed clothes. Dipper started walking toward it and Will instinctually dug his heels into the ground. The alpha looked back at him curiously when Will slouched into himself slightly.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah…I don’t r-really need any new clothes.”

“It doesn’t hurt to have some extra clothes.”

“But I can’t r-really afford anything in this store.” Will gave Dipper a pleading look before the alpha smiled warmly back at him.

“William, don’t worry about money. I’m going to take care of it.”

“I still…I don’t really…you shouldn’t…” Will swallowed thickly.

Dipper smelled the bitterness in Will’s scent and quickly moved to coo softly as he held Will’s hand in both of his own. Will looked at him nervously as Dipper smiled warmly at him.

“I promise, it’s okay Will. It’s just for something I have planned tonight.”

Will stared at him before turning his attention back to the store. He didn’t like being so dependent on the other, especially with something like clothes, but Dipper gently tugged on his hand again and he reluctantly allowed him to. Dipper opened the store door and Will was greeted with the very rich scent of crisp cotton that rivaled fresh laundry detergent. He squeezed the alpha’s hand as he tensed, glancing around the store nervously as Dipper led him through racks of clothes. Will’s stomach churned when a price tag read numbers far beyond what he would ever pay for a shirt.

“Here, try this on.” 

He turned to see Dipper holding a cotton blazer out for him. He slowly slipped his hand out of Dipper’s to grasp the jacket before slipping into it. It fit him perfectly, and even the alpha rumbled happily in front of him. Will found that he really, really liked that sound. He’d found that Dipper had purposefully covered the tags from Will every time he handed something to the Omega and Will trusted that he didn’t want to look. Every piece of fabric was incredibly soft to the touch, very unlike the clothes he had now. The cotton of these clothes was so different than the cotton of his own, softer and more vibrant in ways that his hand-me-downs weren’t. Not that he ever minded the worn, used clothes. They were always from his dad and the scent always gave him courage wherever he went. He wondered briefly if Dipper would ever give him his clothes to wear or keep. It seemed unlikely, just by what he knew of the alpha so far, but he decided not to be too quick to assume. Dipper had caught him off guard plenty of times before.

When they finished with a simple outfit for whatever Dipper had insisted he had planned for the night, the alpha insisted that he went outside to greet his sister while he handled the purchases. Will felt guilty, opening his mouth to protest before the alpha smiled at him and nodded in support.

“Mabel’s waiting for you outside, don’t worry.”

Will took a deep breath as he chanced one last glance at the alpha. He walked out of the store, careful to avoid touching any of the other hanging clothes before slipping out of the door. As he was told, Mabel was waiting by the door of the store with a pout directed at nothing. She turned to look at him when he shut the door.

“Oh, Dip’s still inside? I swear, he takes forever just to decide on a shirt.” The female alpha eyed him with a smirk. “Hey, I’m sorry again about the Pines ambush. I know it was probably a little scary for you.”

“I-I don’t mind.”

“Really? You seemed awfully bristly with the way Paz was talking to my brother.”

Will knew she was just teasing him, but it didn’t stop his anxious tensing beside her. She just offered a sympathetic smile when he didn’t respond.

“If it makes you feel any better, I haven’t had much luck with that family myself.”

“O-Oh?” Will had been curious about Mabel’s interest in the male omega…Gideon, was it?

“Mhm, per Dipper, I’m a little too forward.” She placed her hands on her hips as she pursed her lips. “My brother can’t flirt for his life, but at least he has you. I’ve been trying to court Gideon for years.”

“Years? That’s a l-long time.” Will frowned. He couldn’t even imagine pining after someone for that long. Sure, he had big expectations for Dipper, but he hadn’t been in love with him. No, just curious and imaginative.

He turned to see Mabel nod and tilt her head slightly as she stared out at the street. Will was no romance effort, no he was far from it, but he thought it would be a nice attempt at helping the female alpha, especially with how much she’d helped him since he’d arrived to town.

“I-I’m sure if you just…lowered the charm a b-bit he would come around.” Will hoped that didn’t come off as offensive. “I-I mean, h-he would be really lucky to have you, b-but maybe he doesn’t see that yet?”

“Lower the charm?”

“L-Like um…back where I’m from, a lot of p-people would keep things really simple. Like ask the person they like to a movie or give them flowers or something.” Will wiggled his leg slightly. “S-Something really small but enough to show you care.”

“I’ve tried, honestly.” Mabel sighed. “Nothing seems to really work.”

“Well, then your best bet is to…well…wait, I think.” Will glanced back at Dipper, who was talking animatedly with the cashier. “You can’t m-make people love you, but you can be someone that could m-make the right people love you.”

Will turned back to Mabel with a soft smile.

“If he doesn’t like y-you then you deserve someone who does.” Will rubbed the back of his neck. “From what I’ve c-come to know about you, you’re a really amazing person. I think he just n-needs to realize it first.”

Mabel’s expression turned soft as she smiled warmly at him.

“Wow, thanks Will. That…actually means a lot.”

“N-No problem.” Will grinned back at the female alpha before the door behind then opened. Will turned to see Dipper hold a bag over his shoulder and look between them curiously.

“Trying to steal my omega, sister?”

“Oh brother dearest, you know that would be far too easy of a challenge for me.” Mabel smiled sweetly at her brother when the male narrowed his eyes at her.

“I’m sure.” The male huffed before turning to Will. “Ready?”

Will nodded with a small smile as Dipper led them out of the small shopping plaza. Will could see that Mabel held a small smile as she walked beside her brother, very unlike the usual mischievous smirk she normally sported. His heart warmed at the sight, thankful he could provide any helpful advice at all. Truthfully, he wished he could give himself advice on his own relationship. He was incredibly lost when it came to Dipper. The alpha was hard to read at times, and the most they’d accomplished since he’d come to the town was handholding and the occasional scenting from the boy. It’s not that he was overly eager to do more, but he’d seen plenty of research on omegas who’d met their alphas and were marked and mated immediately. Some stated that they’d been given a week, but Will had been in town for several weeks now and Dipper had made absolutely no move to mark him soon. The thought had been itching at the back of his mind, especially when the bus tickets back home continued to sit on the inside of his bag under his bed. It’s not like he had any actual excuse to go home, but he was beginning to wonder if Dipper wasn’t all that interested in having him as an actual mate, but rather as a friendly companion to get his family off his case.

He watched Dipper glance at him curiously once more. The alpha had been doing that quite frequently since the other two omegas had left and Will wondered if Dipper had also picked up on his uncharacteristic possessiveness like Mabel had. He’d hoped he hadn’t been that obvious, but by the way Mabel had teased him it seemed less likely. A hand intertwined with his again and he turned to see Dipper offering a warm smile toward him.

“Excited for tonight?”

“Yeah.” Will returned the smile.

Will had a feeling this would be a date by the way Dipper had been keeping it oddly mysterious. By Mabel’s snort beside him, he assumed he was guessing correctly. It’s not like he’d ever been on a date before either, but he had a feeling the female twin had contributed to the plans for the night. Dipper glared at his sister when her snort turned into soft snickers, distracting the alpha enough for Will to relax slightly beside him.

“What are you laughing about, huh?”

“I just can’t wait to see what happens. Will, tell me everything that happens.” Mabel giggled when Dipper growled lowly at her.

  
“You’re just as nosy as the townspeople, you know that?" 

Mabel laughed at her brother’s harsh whisper as they walked toward the parked car. Dipper continued to banter with his sister as she made small jabs at his flirting style, leaving Will to stop at a sudden chill that ran down his spine. He watched the twins walk the rest of the way to the car before turning to look around the street. Earlier that day it had been incredibly crowded with people, but now it was oddly empty. When had that happened? He turned his attention back to the statue in the center of town, staring at it intensely before he saw something shuffle in the woods past it. He followed the motion, gut clenching when he met glowing eyes among the shadows. His heart pounded in his chest before he quickly bolted toward the twins, immediately pressing himself against Dipper as he stared after the disappearing eyes.

“Woah, are you okay, William?”

“Y-Yeah.” Will watched the woods fade into their usual eerie darkness, but his heart didn’t stop hammering in his chest.

“Brother, you didn’t tell him that stupid ghost story, did you?” Mabel followed his gaze to the forest before glaring at her brother.

“It’s not a ghost story, it’s a monster story.” Dipper corrected snottily as he wrapped an arm around Will protectively. “And he should know the history of the town.”

“You’re quite possibly the worst mate an omega could have.” She huffed before turning to Will. “Will, don’t listen to him. There’s no shape-shifting creature or anything. Our family was the founders of the town, despite whatever he told you.”

“I know the truth.”

“You’ve stuck your nose into too many of Stanford’s snake-oil journals is what you’ve done.” She gently rubbed the omega’s back. “Don’t worry, there’s no monsters in Ursidae Falls. The only monster is your alpha.”

“Hey!”

“And he’s not that scary, is he?”

Will smiled weakly as Dipper bared his teeth at his sister. If there weren’t any monsters in Ursidae Falls, what had been following him for the past few weeks, then?

It definitely wasn’t human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kh lv wkh rqh
> 
> EDIT: I FOUND MY NOTES!!! The storyline has changed slightly but the ciphers will be back up and things are back to running smoothly! I still don't have a phone, but the updates will remain comin'! Thank y'all again for your support!


	13. Soft Glows and Tender Moments

Will tugged on his blazer sleeve, staring at his awkward reflection. He'd tried for the past ten minutes to tame his unruly hair, managing to comb it onto one side almost-neatly. He looked down at his clothes, amazed how how soft they felt. But...as confident as they tried to make him, he still felt his palms sweat at the thought of whatever the alpha had planned for tonight.

"How am I going to do this?" Will whispered to himself.

He took a final gaze at himself before sighing and turning to look at the door out of his room. Dipper had said to meet him downstairs whenever he was ready, but would he ever really be ready? What if he messed this date up...if it was really a date. Will's knowledge of date etiquette was no better than his experience of romance itself. He sighed and swallowed his fears, making his way out of his room and down the manor hallway. At least he could find his way to the front door now.

What he hadn't expected was the nervous alpha at the bottom of the steps, clutching a bouquet of roses and tapping a foot on the floor in an anxious pattern. He could see Dipper run a hand through his hair before mumbling to himself, shaking his head after a sentence before trying again. He took a silent step forward, feeling relief when he could hear the alpha's words.

"Good evening, William. Would you like-no. Too formal." Dipper huffed. "Will, would you accompany me to...to...ugh, that's ridiculous, too."

Will felt a smile spread across his lips when Dipper cleared his throat and started again.

"Will, I planned a nice evening for us and...and I'd be honored if you joined me."

"I'd love to."

Dipper whipped around with wide eyes, face growing a hot red as he tensed. Will smiled shyly as he walked forward, tugging absently on the laser hem. He felt himself blush when the alpha's eyes roamed over him, taking him in as if he were the handsomest person he'd ever seen and...it made Will's heart pound wildly in his chest.

"Wow." Dipper breathed as he walked forward. "You look stunning. Not - not that you don't always."

Will giggled quietly when the alpha stammered and suddenly thruster the flowers out toward him. He accepted them with shaky hands, eyes softening at the sight of soft rose pedals.

"Th-Thank you."

"Of course." Dipper nibbled on his lower lip before gesturing to the door. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." Will watched Dipper as the alpha turned to leave. He fiddled with the bouquet in his hand, unsure if he should bring them or leave them here. Dipper stopped and turned to look at him curiously until he saw Will'a hands playing with the paper around the roses.

"Oh...uh...you can leave them here. It's fine." Dipper stated before turning to mumble quietly to himself. "Didn't think that one through."

Will followed the alpha out, curious as Dipper forewent the cars parked in front of the manor to continue walking into the woods. He felt anxiety squeeze his gut as he followed, glancing around the forest suspiciously.

"We um...I have something. You'll see." Dipper mistook Will's silence for nervousness. He gently slipped his hand over Will's, intertwining their hands together in a comforting gesture.

Will smiled slightly as he continued to scan the woods for any signs of unwanted guests. He couldn't see anything, as the forest remained oddly silent save for the sounds of their footsteps over fallen leaves.

"So, William," Dipper squeezed his hand once. "How do you...feel?"

"What d-do you mean?"

"I um...how has your day been?"

"Oh." Will smiled. "It was nice."

"Did you like the town?" Dipper led them around what looked like sunken mud.

"I did. It's...a lot d-different than my home."

"Really?" Dipper rubbed circles over his knuckle. "How so?"

"My city is a lot b-bigger. And e-everyone's a little less friendly."

"Everyone here has a small town mentality." Dipper shrugged, smiling sympathetically. "Everyone knows everyone, their parents, their grand-parents, and so on."

"Even the Gleeful founders?" Will teased, earning a playful smirk from the alpha.

"Even the Gleeful founders."

Will didn't know why he felt safer now than he had before on his trips through the woods. Especially with the sun slowly setting, he would expect the danger of the forest to increase exponentially as night fell. After all, several of his monster witnesses had happened at night...though they'd been early morning, save for the sighting earlier in the middle of the day.

"I wanted to show you something I hadn't before."

Will could hear the soft sounds of water echo the longer they walked. He was grateful Dipper had bought him comfortable clothes as they walked through the forest, unsure he could continue his hike if he'd been dressed like the alpha was normally. Even now, Dipper sported his pressed oxford shirt and slacks, looking misplaced in the middle of the woods. He felt his hand tingle where the alpha's skin touched his, sparking excitement all the way to his heart as they continued to the sight of a waterfall. He blinked before staring in awe, eyes roaming over the gentle rush of water over the edge of the taller cliff. Smooth rocks spread out over the landscape and Will could see the beginnings of fireflies bumbling over the lake, their soft glow reflecting over the water among the soft pink shades of the sunset.

"Th-this is...wonderful." Will turned to Dipper with a wide grin, meeting a satisfied grin returned back.

"I'm glad you like it." Dipper tugged on his hand. "I have something else to show you."

Will followed carefully, ears burning as he watched Dipper carefully lean against a wall and make his way up a steep rocky slope. The omega swallowed thickly before following, careful not to slip as Dipper used their interlocked hands to keep him from falling. He grinned when Dipper slipped behind the waterfall, following easily. His entire body warmed when candles illuminated a small dark groove behind the water. He expected it to be loud with the water crashing behind them, but it was oddly soft in noise. He didn't know how that worked, but Dipper just waved him off when he asked.

"A little bit of magic." The alpha answered with a smirk before parting the picnic blanket next to where he sat. Will huffed a giggle when he sat down, watching Dipper clear his throat and smiled shyly at him. They sat in silence for a moment as the alpha fidgeted with a basket he pulled from the side of the blanket. "Are you hungry?"

"I am."

"Oh, good." Dipper opened the basket and pulled out a couple of sandwiches. Will almost laughed at the sight, having expected some elaborate dinner layout. He felt a smile spread across his lips as he plucked the peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of the alpha's hand. "I uh...I can't really cook as you probably - er - already know."

"That's okay." Will nibbled his lower lip before leaning over to gently peck the alpha's cheek. "I love it."

Dipper grinned goofily at him as he lifted a hand to rest against his cheek. Will unwrapped the sandwich before taking a small nibble of a corner. Dipper followed suit, munching happily as he glanced at Will every few moments. The omega focused his attention on the way the water swayed in front of him as he slowly ate through his sandwich. It almost looked like it was glowing as the pink sunset slowly faded into a dark night. He could make out the fireflies in the distance below them, reveling in the serenity of the world just outside of their small hiding place. He felt a hand slip over his on the blanket and he hummed softly in response.

"Do you like it here?"

Will turned to see the curiosity in the alpha's eyes. He nodded, watching Dipper smile fondly at him.

"Of course I do."

"With me?"

"With you." Will turned his hand to intertwine their fingers together. It felt so odd to say that, but the tingling in his gut only encouraged him further. He felt giddy when he could hear another happy rumble erupt from Dipper.

"I um...I have a favor to ask."

"Hm?" Will watched Dipper fidget with the sandwich wrapper in his hands. He could see the alpha suddenly grow anxious as Dipper nibbled his lower lip in thought. The alpha seemed to have encouraged himself enough before he quickly blurted the weighted question on his mind.

"Can I kiss you?"

Will straightened at the question, feeling his chest vibrate with every thump of his heart. He stared at Dipper in surprise, watching the alpha's eyebrows furrow in apology.

"I'm sorry, that was too fast - ignore that, please. I'm - I'm very sorry." Dipper grew flustered as Will's shoulders slouched and he felt himself timidly scoot closer.

"I-um...yes?" Oh god. How do you even kiss someone? He'd seen it on TV millions of times but to actually kiss someone was...way different. He hadn't been expecting this. Then again, if he had, he was sure he'd be way more nervous than he was now.

Dipper opened his mouth to reply before shutting it and nodding. Will watched the alpha scoot next to him, with their hips almost touching. Will could feel the heat of Dipper's blush, sure that the other could feel his own as well, as he slowly leaned in. Dipper mirrored his movements until their noses were barely brushing against each other. Half-lidded eyes met his own, filled with anxious anticipation that matched the way his chest felt.

"Ah...now?" Dipper whispered, watching Will nod slightly between them.

Dipper leaned forward, closing the gap between them to gently place his lips against the omega's. Will felt his lungs squeeze as he tried to figure out where to put his hands, or where to even shift - or what to even do. Dipper lifted a hand to rest against his cheek. He lifted a hand to rest over the alpha's, hoping that was the right thing to do. He was sure his heart would beat out of his chest the longer this went on from giddy adrenaline surging through his veins. The soft lips against his twitched before Dipper pulled back, face completely red as he smiled giddily back at him.

He stayed like that, staring back into softer blue eyes as he tried to force his pulse to slow. It refused to obey as Dipper's hand still rested against his cheek, and his own hand tingling as it ghosted over the alpha's. He curled his toes in his shoes as he watched Dipper lean forward once more, but only to rest his forehead against the omega's. Blue disappeared behind closed eyes as the alpha slowly removed his hand to trace the palm of Will's.

"Thank you." Dipper breathed quietly.

"I-I um...yeah." Will silently cursed himself as Dipper laughed softly against him. "Y-You know what I mean."

"I do." Dipper swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry I'm so new to...all of this. This was probably really fast. And awkward. I'm sorry; I listened to Mabel and she said this would be a good idea and I'm not saying it wasn't I'm just - you know how I am and I probably ruined this date for you and forced you too quickly with that kiss and-"

"Dipper." The alpha froze at his name and stopped his rambling as he watched Will smile widely at him. "I l-loved it."

Dipper whined before covering his face with his hands. Will felt his heart swell as he giggled, watching Dipper attempt to hide the blush that had reached the tips of his ears. He could feel it on his own, could feel the tingling heat made his toes curl and his face fail to cease grinning as he leaned against the alpha. Dipper removed a hand from his face to hesitantly wrap it around Will's waist. The omega just purred softly before awkwardly leaning into the touch, adjusting his posture to nuzzle into Dipper's neck. It was soft and warm, but above all it smelled completely of Dipper. Something about that made the tension in his body fade as he relaxed against the alpha's warm skin. He could feel the alpha rumbling happily as the arm around him tightened.

And, for a moment, Will forgot all about the strange nature of mysteries surrounding Ursidae Falls in favor of falling for his alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zkr zloo whdu dsduw wkh zruog zlwk klv kdqgv
> 
> Edit: Will be editing this chapter in the next few days, sorry for my autocorrect running wild in this chapter ^^'


	14. Who do you believe?

Will hummed when they walked back to the manor, his fingers intertwined with the alpha's as his smile stretched widely across his face. The alpha beside him mirrored the same expression, eyes bright with excitement as they approached the front door of the house. He turned to look at Dipper, watching the alpha lift his hand to kiss the back of it softly.

"Thank you for coming with me this evening. I absolutely loved it."

Will's face reddened as Dipper released his hand and wrapped it around the small of his back to direct him into the manor. The alpha's scent remained sweet as he walked Will back to his room in a gentle sway. The stairs creaked quietly under their feet as the lights in the manor remained burning in the eerie quiet of the home. Will hadn't paid it much attention until they approached his door, suddenly very aware of how silent the house was. Dipper opened the door, watching the omega walk inside as he stayed put at the entrance of the bedroom. Will turned around to look at him curiously before Dipped winked at him.

"Sleep well, William. I'll see you in the morning."

William nodded, watching the alpha take a step forward to awkwardly kiss him once more. Lips rested against Will's in a gentle touch for several warm moments before they pulled back. His heart raced once more and all looming fears dissipated as Dipper stroked his cheek and left. The omega sighed until he realized the alpha had been walking...the wrong way. He tilted his head slightly as he strained his ears when Dipper's figure disappeared around the corner, listening for the alpha to realize his mistake until the soft creak of the steps caught his attention. His eyebrows furrowed when he heard the front door open with a slow creak that was clearly meant to be disguised.

He quickly made his way to his window, watching the shadowed figure of the alpha glance around the clearing before making his way back into the forest. Will stiffened at this before attempting to come up with various reasons of why Dipper would return to the forest. Probably to retrieve the picnic items he'd left behind. That had to be a reason. He nodded to himself before sliding down to sit at the windowsill curiously. He watched the forest entrance for a while, knowing it would probably take a little while for Dipper to return.

His thoughts roamed to the events of the night, making him smile warmly. He'd asked him to kiss him - that was really sweet. He kicked his unfolded foot back and forth happily. His first kiss! And Dipper was so tender about it, too. He bit into his lower lip with a happy hum before he saw shuffling in the woods.

He straightened, eyebrows furrowing. It would be impossible for Dipper to return that quickly. His heart stopped when he saw the large shadow of the creature. Its eyes glowed as it stared up at him before slipping back into the woods. He gasped before bolting out of his room and down the stairs. His entire being told him to stop and turn back, but his mind screamed the alpha's name as he ran with everything he had out of the manor. He panted heavily as he looked around for the creature. It had disappeared, but Dipper was still nowhere to be seen. He should have grabbed a weapon of some sort, but it was too late to turn back now. He growled and ran into the forest, unsure of how to even make it back to the waterfall.

'Forward.'

He skid to a stop as he looked around the woods suddenly. That voice. That voice was familiar. He followed it, feeling his heart racing as he heard shuffling behind him. He bolted faster.

"Dipper!" He shouted as he ran faster.

'Left.' He quickly jerked his body left and nearly tripped over a branch.

"Dipper!" He shouted again. The sounds of shuffling and hushed pounding against dirt shifted to beside him and he felt terror grip his heart. His feet pounded and thumped I to the ground, jerking his joints as he pushed himself to run faster.

"Dipper, where are you?" Will felt tears gather in his eyes as he was suddenly met with a cliff wall. This wasn't the waterfall. Panic gripped his heart as he realized he was lost in the woods, alone, at night, with whatever had been stalking him since he'd been here. His lungs threatened to give out and a wave of nausea nearly made him throw up as fear tore at his throat.

He turned around, eyes glancing around the dark forest in a deep panic. He couldn't see any shadows moving, but his mind supplied him with the endless amount of fear as his lungs continued burned and screamed at him. Hot tears flowed down his cheeks as his chest quivered. His muscles trembled as he whimpered, eyes tracing the black tree trunks for any movement at all.

'Keep going.'

"Keep g-going where?" Will yelled before gripping his head when a sudden throbbing thumped through his brain.

'Forward.'

"This is a rock!" Will cried out before reaching back. His hand went through the rock unexpectedly, forcing him to collapse through it and hit rock floor harshly. His shoulder collided with rock and he helped painfully before cringing.

'Keep going.'

Will sniffled and hyperventilated, feeling tears run down his cheeks as he looked around the cave entrance in fear. Carvings were clawed into the rock entrance as wind whistled around him. Darkness seemed to grow thicker the further down he looked into the cave wall. He shook his head as he quickly ran out of the cave wall and collided with something hard. He growled as best he could before attempting to throw a punch, only for it to be caught.

"Will? Will, calm down!"

Will's eyes widened when he met cyan eyes. He whimpered before throwing his arms around the alpha's neck and squeezing him tightly to his chest. Sobs racked the boy's body as he pressed himself against the alpha as physically close as he could. Arms wrapped around Will's waist snugly as Dipper cooed to him softly.

"Will, Will, it's okay. Shh, I'm here. I'm here. You're safe."

The alpha rocked him slightly as he used a hand to rub his back while the other continued to press him against Dipper's chest.

"Shh, your alpha is here."

Will relaxed in the alpha's embrace, taking in the familiar scent with relief. His mind wouldn't let him rest, however, as he quickly pulled back.

"How'd you find me?"

"You were screaming my name." Dipper frowned as he looked between Will's eyes with concern. "Gave me a near heart attack. I thought something had happened to you."

Will looked around the forest hen, scanning it with petrified worry. The creature was gone, whatever it was. And the voice...

He turned around, looking at the cave entrance, or what was a cave entrance. He reached his hand forward, but it only met with hard rock. His eyebrows furrowed.

"William, are you okay?"

"I-I um..." Humiliation gripped Will's chest as he swallowed thickly. Was that all just his imagination? "I'm sorry."

"That's okay." Dipper smiled and pulled him close.

"I-I thought I had...I thought I saw something in the woods but..." Will clenched his jaw before loosening it. "It must have just been my imagination."

Dipper didn't say anything at this, but he ran a hand through Willis sweaty hair it's a soft smile.

"It's okay. The woods are very dangerous at night - I don't want you coming here without me, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Dipper wrapped an arm around Will's shoulders before guiding them back home. Will glanced at Dipper's figure, eyebrows knitting together as he didn't see any of the items from the picnic, or any real reason for Dipper to have been out here. Then again, he had come right after, there wouldn't be any way for Dipper to have reached the waterfall before he came tearing through the woods for him. His body slouched in exhaustion, especially as Dipper's scent forced him to relax in a soothing wave of warmth.

"Let's get you into bed, hm?" Dipper walked him to through the lawn once more. "I'll bring you some warm milk or something. Would you like that?"

"N-No, it's okay."

'Ask about the patch.'

Will stopped in his tracks as the voice echoed softly. Dipper stopped and looked at him curiously.

"William?"

The patch? Why the patch? And why was the voice back? He blinked before shaking his head. No, no this was all in his head. He closed the gap between them as Dipper stared at him curiously.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

It had to be his heat coming up. Maybe it was different because he had an alpha now, or rather, a soon-to-be-alpha. Maybe his body was just reacting to that and the excitement of the night. Maybe that was it. It was just nervousness.

"I'm okay." Will forced a smile for the alpha. "I'm s-sorry, I guess I just got spooked."

"Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" Dipper rubbed his thumb into Will's shoulder as he wrapped his arm back around the omega's shoulders.

"N-No, that's okay." Will smiled weakly. "I think I've embarrassed m-myself enough for one night."

"Embarrassed? Heavens no." Dipper chuckled softly. "Your first reaction to seeing something in the woods was to come after me to save me. That's far from embarrassing."

Will looked at Dipper to see a warmth in his eyes. The alpha rumbled happily as he pressed his nose to Will's cheek.

"I appreciate it." Dipper hummed as he guided Will back into the manor. The omega allowed himself to be led up the stairs and into his room once again. His mind replayed the voice's commands as he smiled at the alpha.

"Are you sure you don't want anything? I can stay with you if it'll make you feel better." Dipper cupped his cheeks with warm hands.

"N-No, it's okay." Will melted into his hands.

"Okay. You are free to come into my room if you ever feel unsafe." Dipper rubbed Will's cheek with his thumb before pulling away. "Goodnight, William."

"Goodnight, Dipper." Will watched Dipper walk the right way this time, walking toward his bedroom with quiet footsteps.

Something didn't sit well with Will about the whole ordeal. He quickly closed the door and locked it before hopping onto his bed and grabbing his laptop. What was that name again? Weirdma - Weirdmagged - Weirdmageddon labs.

He typed it in quickly, eyes narrowing when a new link rested at the top of the results.

Weirdmageddon Lab Topics : Supernatural Occurences  
Government Science Journal XI Forum > Research Labs Listed > Weirdmegeddon Lab Theories

19876 says "As I lay awake at night, I can't help but to think our work has lead to something horrific. Strange things have been occurring recently, and while I have spoken to my colleague about it, he seems unconcerned."

Will swallowed thickly before clicking on it. It seemed like a normal conspiracy theory website, filled with useless ads and an outdated layout, but the addition to the page had been added that day. Will nibbled on his lower lip as he read the story carefully.

"I believe our old experiments have resurfaced in Ursidae Falls. Supernatural occurrences have increased tenfold in the past month, which could only mean that something horrible has happened possibly happened. I fear we may be looking the apocalypse in the eye if my beliefs are correct. Weirdmageddon Labs continues to haunt me to this day, even if it's been shut down for almost two decades. I fear my colleague's work has come back and that we will have more to fear than we thought. We must find the source of these occurrences and stop it before it becomes too late."

Will tapped the side of his laptop. Who was writing this? Who is this colleague of his? What was the experiment? And the source of the strange occurrences? He turned his attention to his window. Could whatever that creature is...possibly be the experiment? He needed to find whoever wrote this...but how? And why hadn't Dipper said anything about the patch? Dipper had talked to Stanford when they got home, surely he had mentioned the patch at some point?

Will's mind returned to Dipper's past and his questions only grew. Why had Dipper been in the woods to begin with? He didn't seem concerned with getting the picnic things afterwards, so he couldn't have been going for them before...could he?

The omega groaned and held his head before shutting his laptop.

What was the truth?

He opened another tab, typing the username in and, surprisingly, coming up with several articles by the same name. What catches his eye immediately is the sight of an article regarding the Gleeful twins. He stiffens as he pulls it up, seeing Dipper and Mabel holding hands between them while their others are held out in a presenter sort of way. Will could see Stanford and Stanley on the background, or that's what he assumed was Stanford because he looked exactly like Stanley.

And under it, writing from the same person.

"19876 - Stanford and family. Example of patient thriving years after experiment. Success? It's believed so, though can't be completely sure without running tests - which we cannot do."

"Patient?" Will looked through the photo. Who was the patient?

He backed out of the article to open another. This was a picture of Stanford again and of several small babies gathered around him.

"19876 - We are ready to begin the procedure! Here's a picture of Stanford and patients. Hopefully this will be a glance into the future of ABO medicine!"

Will's blood ran cold. What...what were they experimenting on? And...and if this was on babies...that meant that the other picture...with the family...

That meant either Dipper or Mabel had been patients of whatever Stanford had been doing. He trembled as his breathing shook. What were they experimenting? What had they been doing? And Stanford...he had experimented? And with Dipper's dark past...was this it? Or had he done something to protect Mabel if she'd been a patient? But they trusted Stanford still? Maybe the other picture was mislabeled? Will ran a hand through his hair. Maybe it was all a hoax, but his gut curled the more he researched.

The last picture he saw was an uploaded photo that had been previously removed. The person stated he'd uploaded it once more, but everything would be removed soon.

The sight of a destroyed lab made his heart pound in his chest. Everything looked charred in the lab, with shattered glass everywhere. He felt dizzy.

"Experiment 19876 has escaped." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ehzduh wkh pdq zlwk vla ilqjhuv


	15. A Ticket to the Future

Dipper had been noticing Will’s hesitance around him as of late – actually, even around the entire family - ever since the night in the woods. He had thought that with everything that happened that night that Will would be more open toward him, but since the strange scare Will had experienced after their date, the omega had been extremely shaky towards everyone. Dipper’s concern only grew the longer that William avoided him, leading the male alpha to turn to his sister for advice. While he usually hated asking for her help – mainly because she always teased him before doing so – he did need assistance. William had become…very important to him as of late, and the last thing he wanted was for the omega to start doubting him as a future mate. Not only that, he’d become very nervous since William had given him the patch to Weirdmageddon Labs. He hadn’t talked to Stanford about it yet, fearful of how the man would react to something so buried in the past being revealed so easily to what the elder still believed was a complete stranger. Not only that, Will and Stanford had yet to properly meet beyond a simple greeting once, in which Will’s scent had gone bitter and he had cowered away immediately after shaking the older alpha’s hand. Dipper wasn’t entirely sure if that was just simple hesitance around unknown alphas, or if Will knew something he shouldn’t. Regardless, Dipper was determined to make Will comfortable again, though how – he wasn’t sure. 

He knocked on his sister’s door before entering, training his worried expression into a soft scowl as she turned to smirk at him from her desk. 

“Well, well, brother. Come for more advice on how to woo your omega?”

“Something of the sorts.” 

She must have picked up on his concern because her playful smirk wavered slightly as he closed the door behind him and walked around her bed before carefully seating himself on it. She eyed him carefully, tilting her head as she moved to face him properly.

“It’s about William.”

“I figured.” Mabel clasped her hands over her folded knee. “I thought you said your date went well.”

“Other than the last part – yes.” Dipper sighed before continuing. “Ever since then, however, he’s been a little skittish.”

“Maybe he just doesn’t know how to kiss you again.”

“It’s not that.” Dipper watched Mabel straighten. “I think he may know something.”

“That’s not possible, brother.” The female alpha shook her head as she waved her hand in dismissal. “There’s no way he could find out.”

“He did. He has to have.” Dipper slipped his hand into his slacks and pulled out the patch, earning a wide-eyed expression of shock from his sister. He grimaced and nodded.

“Where’d you–“

“William gave it to me.” Dipper pursed his lips. “He apparently found it in his room.”

“Have you told Stanford?”

“No.” Dipper rubbed his hand over the sewn material of the patch with a sorrowful expression. “And I don’t plan to, either.”

Mabel rested a hand over her mouth, staring between her brother and the patch for a brief, tense moment as her brother’s scent grew more and more bitter. She could see the fear rest in his eyes the longer he stared at the patch as she tried to think of a way to ease her brother’s troubles.

“Maybe he still doesn’t know. I mean, think about it brother, all evidence of it was practically wiped out save for a few conspiracy theories.”

“He followed me into the woods.” Dipper clenched his jaw. “He could have seen, Mabel.”

“But you said you found him by a boulder. He could have just been spooked and in shock from seeing a wild deer or something at night. William’s from the city – deer at night could look like anything to him.”

Dipper rubbed his forehead, feeling the soft bumps of his birthmark before pinching his temple. His head was beginning to pound as anxiety weighed in his stomach. What was he supposed to do? If William found out, he could run and tell everyone. He could reject him – something Dipper feared more than the public eye finding out of the secrets the family held. 

“I don’t think he saw anything, Dipper.” Mabel assured him, watching her twin shove the patch back into his pants pocket before looking at her wearily. “If he did, I think he would have told you. He trusts you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have given you that patch to begin with.”

Dipper nodded once but tapped his heels against the hardwood floor. 

“And beyond that, there’s no way he would actually find out. Think about it – all the experiments were hidden or passed away years ago. Will wouldn’t be able to find any evidence of it unless someone from the experiment showed him – and that’s not going to happen.”

The male alpha ran a hand through his hair and sighed a single, heavy sigh. He turned up to look at his sister before nodding and offering a small smile in return.

“Yeah, you’re right. Very few actually know about it.”

“Exactly. Only people Stanford trusts, and you know he wouldn’t let just anyone know about it.” 

Dipper relaxed, feeling a little more at ease. Mabel smiled and stood, heels clicking against the floor as she walked forward to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up, meeting cyan eyes similar to his, and Mabel offered a sympathetic shrug of her shoulders.

“Maybe you should invite him to the show tonight - Will might like to see his alpha in a different light.” She raised the hand to ruffle his hair, something she knew he absolutely hated but at the moment needed.

The male alpha growled, even as his sister pulled her hand away laughing. His normally put together hair was back to its natural fluffiness – something he absolutely hated. He just glared at his sister before standing and storming out of the room. Mabel knew he’d thank her later, probably before the show, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her twin. He was more worried about Will than he usually let on, so for him to actually come to her for advice did provide some concern. She clicked her tongue as she sat back down at her desk. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to have a little chat with William tomorrow. 

\--

Dipper scowled as he ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it down as he walked to Will’s room. It wouldn’t do to look so disheveled when asking his mate-to-be to watch him perform if he looked like he just rolled out of bed. When he was finally satisfied with his look, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He listened to the closing of a laptop before feet shuffled toward the door. There was a short pause before the door cracked open and soft eyes met his. 

“Dipper?”

“Will.” He couldn’t help the small smile that came when he saw the omega. His scent alone made him relax a little, but the guarded look the boy gave him made him weary. He didn’t let his smile waver. “Would you like to come see our show tonight? It’s in a couple of hours or so but we can save you a seat and such if you’d like to come.”

“Show? Oh!” Will opened the door a little more, glancing around the hallway before turning back to Dipper. The male alpha narrowed his eyes slightly, curious as to why Will would act so suspiciously suddenly. Was he hiding something in his room? On his laptop…maybe…?  
“I’d love to see it.” Will smiled, breaking Dipper from his thoughts. The alpha straightened, feeling a sense of relief at the sight. Perhaps the whole thing was in his head because the omega suddenly didn’t seem so weary of him. Something told him otherwise, but he preferred to think William didn’t hold any bad blood toward him.

“I’m glad! I would be truly honored if you came to see me.” Dipper gently grasped the omega’s hand and lifted it to kiss Will’s knuckles tenderly. Will’s face lit up in a bright red before a bashful smile spread across the omega’s face. It warmed Dipper’s heart. “You can walk with Mabel and me to the tent later, if you’d like.” 

Will nodded, leaving the alpha to warm. He did chance a peek into Will’s room curiously, not seeing anything out of order.

“Mind if I come in for a bit?”

Will stiffened for a split second – leaving Dipper wondering if he’d actually seen it. The omega opened the door and stepped back, allowing the alpha inside. Dipper didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so it must be on his laptop if he was hiding something. The last thing the alpha wanted was to lose Will’s trust if there wasn’t anything, so he settled for the sight around him – nothing suspicious. He turned to look at Will, who was staring at him blankly as he closed the door behind him. That was…odd as well. The want to break the strange silence between them but, truthfully, had no idea how. He decided to close the distance between them and take Will’s face in his hands, cupping warmed cheeks with a small smile.

“I haven’t scented you in a while, you know.” That was true – maybe that’s what was bothering the omega? He thought he’d read somewhere that Omegas tended to get disheartened if they weren’t scented often enough by their alphas and it had been a few days at the very least. 

Will’s reaction was answer enough as the boy gave him a shy smile before presenting his neck slightly. Dipper took that as an answer, closing the gap between them to nose the omega’s pulse before licking a slow stripe up the muscle. He could feel Will shiver under his gap so he went further, wrapping his arms around the omega’s waist to pull him flush against his own. Will melted in his arms, resting his hands against Dipper’s chest as the alpha gently sucked on the skin. He felt an aroused shiver run down his spine when the omega moaned under him – something he hadn’t properly heard since the first time he’d scented him. 

Dipper pulled away reluctantly, not wanting to ruin the connection before he leaned forward to gently kiss Will on the lips. The boy pressed against his lips gently before pulling back, reveling in the closeness that he had, admittedly, missed quite a bit in its absence. His heart thudded excitedly in his chest at his own bravery with taking the initiative, feeling his instincts applaud him subtly as he smiled brightly at Will.

“I’ll let you get ready.” Dipper stroked the omega’s cheek before walking toward the door. An idea struck him then as he opened the door, turning to look at William a last time. “And you know you can talk to me anytime, right? If anything’s bothering you – anything at all – I’m here for you, okay?”

“O-Okay.” Will smiled, nodding at him. The alpha sighed through his nose quietly before nodding and leaving the omega to himself. It irked him that Will had nothing for him – which only drove that idea that it had all been in his head this whole time. He shook his thoughts and walked away, confident that Will would tell him the truth if there was something to tell. He trusted Will – more than he trusted most, at least. 

\--

Will’s hand was intertwined with Dipper’s as they walked down the dark path of the woods. Mabel was ahead of them, exaggerating a story of some boy she’d turned down earlier that day as Dipper rubbed a thumb over his finger. He turned to see cyan eyes watching him warmly and he couldn’t help but grin back. Doubt be damned – for now, at least. 

Being in the woods did provide some discomfort, especially since the incident before. However, it did seem the creature – or whatever it was – didn’t come near when he was with others. If, and he thought this carefully, the creature wasn’t one of the twins themselves. He’d been hesitant, thinking it over solemnly the past few days. His first suspect was Dipper – but even then, that seemed off. Dipper had been with him whenever he saw the creature during daylight when he was with the alpha. And he’d seen it with Mabel, too. But that didn’t explain the strange articles, or the fact that Dipper had found him almost immediately despite the vastness of the woods. There was no way the alpha could have found him that quickly – or maybe there was? But then why…? Will shook his head. This was pointless right now. Especially with Dipper giving him this tender look, he couldn’t find himself thinking darkly of the boy. Guilt weighed on his stomach for avoiding him for so long, knowing he’d probably come to his room and invited him to this show because he was worried about him. Truthfully, Will felt like an ass. 

The one man he wanted to avoid while he could, however, was Stanford Gleeful. While Will could feel somewhat safe around the Gleeful twins – despite the mysterious “patient” theory of his – he couldn’t trust the elder in the slightest. He knew Stanford was part of something – if he wasn’t anymore, then still participating in some sort of scheme – and he decided the man was dangerous. Whatever he may have done to one of the twins – he would never be able to forgive him. Especially if he hurt Dipper. Will squeezed the alpha’s hand and earned a pleased look from the boy next to him. 

He needed to make up the last few days to the alpha – it was decided.

Will lifted Dipper’s hand and kissed it gently, watching cyan eyes light up in joy. The smile that spread across Dipper’s face made his heart race and he giggled when Dipper closed the gap between them to kiss his cheek playfully. It was short lived, however, as the twins’ promise laid true – their walk was an extremely short lived one. Will’s eyes widened at the sight of an elaborate blue tent resting in the middle of a clearing – already gathering a few cars at the side of it with some people standing impatiently by the entrance of the tent. Dipper tugged Will closer to him as they walked quickly toward the back of the tent, avoiding the people of the front crowd as they slipped under the back of the tent. Stanley was waiting for them, arms folded as they skidded to a stop in front of him. While Will donned an apologetic grin, the twins just shrugged or gave him half-thought excuses.

“We got lost.”

“I misplaced my deck of cards.”

Stanley tilted his head in a knowing look.

“Mabel, you didn’t get lost because you’ve been on that damn trail your whole life. And Dipper, your cards are in your dressing room – where you’ve always left them. Since you two have been doing this show.”

The twins groaned and rolled their eyes but Will just watched them with a repressed smile. 

“Hurry up and go get ready, you’re already late!”

Dipper huffed and tugged Will with him before Stanley cleared his throat pointedly. The alpha pouted slightly as he looked at the elder alpha.

“Will can come with me so you don’t get distracted further.”

“That’s not fair!” Dipper scowled, slightly tightening his hand around Will’s. 

“It is fair, and maybe if you weren’t late like you’ve always managed to be, then you would have had time show Will around.” Stanley pointed at their joined hands before Dipper snarled and reluctantly released Will. Stanley pointed toward the back then, watching the twins grumble and walk toward the dressing rooms. Will watched Dipper glance back at him before disappearing around the corner. Stanley sighed and shook his head.

“That boy, I swear. He throws tantrums like there’s no tomorrow.”

Will giggled softly despite his wish that he could have stayed with his alpha. Stanley just placed a hand on his back comfortingly before gesturing for Will to follow him. He did so willingly, glancing around the back of the tent curiously. It had several large boxes around, some opened and filled with cliché magician hats and tools that Will had only seen in movies. 

“Dipper had me save a seat for you in the front, but you’ll be stuck with tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum.” 

“Huh?” Will’s eyebrows furrowed before the elder pulled open the stage curtain to reveal the slowly filling audience area. He immediately met eyes with Gideon and…Pacifica. He stiffened and Stanley snorted next to him.

“Me too, kid. Me too.” 

He made his way forward hesitantly, seating himself next to the other teens as they smiled warmly at him. They both greeted him warmly, with Pacifica grinning widely at him and Gideon waving slightly. He, luckily, was able to seat himself next to only Gideon – thankful to anyone in the sky for that, truthfully. He eventually began to glance around, watching the audience fill and the roar of people chattering excitedly around them filled the small area with a cacophony of excited voices. He could hear people behind him gushing over how much they loved the show and the twins, and some people beside him shaking with giddiness as their scents filled with warmth. He felt a sense of pride at this, knowing everyone here was excited to see the twins he’d come to know so well, but…also to see his alpha. 

He curled his legs under the chair as he sat back, listening to Gideon talk to Pacifica about how fake the show was and that he was only coming because Mabel had shoved tickets into his hand. 

“Oh, come on, Gideon! This is going to be amazing!” Pacifica stated cheerily.

“It’s all fake, Paz. Magic isn’t real – look for the strings in their performance. And the psychic stuff is apparently a hoax, too.” Gideon eyed the female omega with a look before turning to Will. “Have you ever seen them like, do psychic stuff at home?”

“N-Not really.” Will admitted, though…Psychic? He thought it was just a normal magic show. He heard the audience hush into silence as the main lights of the tent dulled into darkness before the spotlights shined onto the stage where the curtain was closed. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! What you’re about to see tonight will go beyond anything you ever thought possible!” Will recognized Stanley’s voice easily, smiling to himself as he felt giddiness bubble in his own stomach. “Witness the future, folks! Explore magic and mystery!”

The audience started clapping, drumming with energy around Will and he watched the stage intensely. 

“Tonight, your lives will forever change in the Tent of Telepathy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IRU KH LV WKH EULQJHU RI VXIIHULQJ DQG SDLQ


	16. The Magician, The Devil, and The Lovers

Dipper stepped on stage, hand outstretched as the crowd cheered and roared around him. Will glanced to his sides, watching people clapping excitedly as if a true celebrity had just walked on stage. He turned back to see Dipper’s eyes on him and it made his heart lurch.

“Ladies and Gents, boys and girls, what you will see tonight is something no one in the world has ever seen before.” Dipper waved his hand to the other set of the stage where Mabel was strutting forward from the side. “What my lovely sister and I will be doing in this very room in the next hour will change your perspective of life itself.”

Will smiled at the cheesy lines as he watched the twins walk to the front of the stage. They were hand-in-hand, smiles wide and bright as the audience continued to scream their names. It was almost surreal, watching the twins’ eyes scan the crowd with strangely sweet grins. Dipper’s smile was nothing like the one he’d seen before, fake and forced in a way that made Will both fascinated and sympathetic. Dipper’s smile melted into a genuine grin when his eyes fell to Will. 

“Are you ready to see what we have planned for you all tonight?” Mabel called beside Dipper, breaking the elongated eye contact Dipper had with the male Omega in the front row. 

The audience seemed to get even louder, echoing around the tent with the vibrating thrill of anticipation drumming in the crowd. The twins’ smiles seemed to grow, but Dipper’s was warmer and knowing he was the cause of that made his stomach flutter. He sat straighter, eyes fixed on the male Alpha as Dipper turned to his sister. 

“Well, you heard them, sister dearest.”

Mabel tapped her chin with her finger, feigning thoughtfulness as she glanced at the crowd once again.

“Hmm, you know, I think we should let the audience choose the first trick tonight, what do you think?”

“Oh?” Dipper shifted his weight onto one foot before resting a hand on his hip. He tilted his head as he looked at his sister with an amused smirk. “What a perfect idea!”

The audience ate it up, raising their hands to be picked for the answer. Dipper’s eyes rested on Will. The Omega stiffened – he didn’t know what they could or couldn’t do. Mabel followed Dipper’s gaze and smirked. 

“Why, brother, why don’t we pick a participant from the crowd? They can even serve as our volunteer.” 

Dipper smiled at her knowingly, exchanging smirks before Dipper shrugged smugly and started walking off the stage. People were waving their hands around, “ooo” and “pick me”s filling the air as Dipper pretended to look through the crowd. 

“Oh, who shall I pick?” Dipper slowly made his way to Will before glancing down. 

Will tensed as glowing eyes met his. He subtly shook his head in a “no” before the Alpha hummed and pointed at him anyway.

“You, sir, what’s your name?” Dipper’s eyes danced with amusement as Will’s face heated. The Omega glanced around at the audience, filled with disappointment and curious glances at him. Will was somewhat grateful Dipper had chosen to pretend not to know him, but that didn’t make his now-thudding heart ease its racing. 

“W-Will.”

“Will? What a lovely name. Everyone, please give Will a warm welcome!” Dipper held his hand out as the audience applauded the Omega who hesitantly took Dipper’s hand. 

Will’s entire body trembled as he followed Dipper onto the stage, doing his best not to trip over the stairs or over his own feet. He looked to Mabel who winked at him. He forced a smile before his eyes accidentally turned to look at the audience. His stomach dropped and he turned to Dipper once again, whose scent reflected nothing but warmth and comfort. The alpha pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket, shuffling them. 

“So, Will, you’re new in town, aren’t you?” 

Will just kept watching those hands continue to shuffle effortlessly, as if Dipper did nothing but shuffle cards in his free time. He swallowed before nodding. Dipper hummed before walking forward, rubbing Will’s arm soothingly. 

“There’s nothing to be worried about, Will. We’re going to take very good care of you.” Dipper removed his hand from Will as the audience cooed and “aww”ed in front of them. 

Will just watched those hands go back to shuffling the cards, amazed at how easy Dipper’s hands could finger through them. He briefly entertained a thought before pushing it to the back of his mind. 

“Now, Will, since I’m sure you’ve never seen our show before, I’ll offer you some options. What do you guys think?” Dipper turned to the crowd who cheered. “Alright. Tell me, do you like card tricks?”

Will glanced at the audience who all seemed to be brimming with excitement at the words. He assumed this was something Dipper was particularly good at, so he nodded. He didn’t want to make anything difficult for his fiancé, though no one in the crowd actually knew that. 

“Oh, good! You’re in for a treat, then.” Dipper was facing Will then with their sides facing the audience. The part of Dipper’s face that wasn’t seen easily by the audience winked at him. “As you can see, I’ve been shuffling this deck for a little bit. We’re going to use this to determine what trick we do first, how does that sound?”

“G-Good.” Will took a deep breath, reveling in the familiar scent of Dipper. It reminded him of tender moments and warm smiles, making his trembling relax slightly. 

“Okay, Will. Pick three cards – any cards – from the deck.” 

Will obeyed, plucking the first three cards. Dipper smirked knowingly before turning to the crowd. 

“Now these cards are going to symbolize three different tricks that we normally perform. As you all already know, these cards aren’t a normal deck of cards. I can read them to tell the future.” Dipper turned to look at Will. “You can look at your cards and, if you will,” The audience giggled. “Please show the audience your cards after you look at them, but don’t show them to me.”

Will did so, jaw clenching when the pictures on the cards came into view. They were Tarot cards alright, and the ones he’d pulled made his heart sink. The first card held a picture of a goat-headed man with wings outstretched as two humans rested in chains at his feet. Under it read “The Devil” in typewriting that made him wonder how old these cards actually were. The second card read “The Magician”. A man with an outstretched hand gripped a scroll of some sort while a table of various items stood in front of him. The last was a card that held an angel-like being behind a naked man and woman, palms facing toward him as “The Lovers” was typed at the bottom. Something about the cards made him queasy, but he chalked it up to having to walk up to the audience to hold them out with shaky hands. 

“Very good, Will!” Dipper encouraged before gripping the remaining deck in his hand. “Now, I’m going to name three different tricks and I want you to associate them with the cards in your hand. Don’t tell me which is which, just keep that in mind, okay?”

Will nodded as he lowered his hand to turn back to Dipper. The alpha smiled.

“One is a simple Fortune Telling, another is a Disappearing Act, and the final is a mystery act that we always have at the end of every show.” Dipper explained. “So, go ahead and pair them up in your mind and when you do so tell me when you’re ready.”

Will did so, matching each card with what he thought fit best. The Devil matched with Fortune Telling – cause his father had always insisted it was evil in some sort, whether it be through its trickery or through its truth. He paired the Magician with the Disappearing Act, and the Lovers with the mystery, reflecting that his own was a mystery in itself. He nodded to Dipper.

“Now, Will, I’m going to ask you to slip those cards back into my deck but don’t let me see them.” 

Will did so, slipping them randomly into the deck before Dipper started shuffling them again. The Alpha didn’t take his eyes off Will before he plucked a card out of the middle of the deck. Dipper flipped it to show the Magician card to the audience, smiling when Will’s eyes widened.

“We’ll start with the Disappearing Act then?” 

“H-How’d you -?” Will’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Seems like a good guess?” Dipper plucked another card from the deck, revealing the second card, The Devil. “Fortune Telling would definitely be interesting to start with, hm?”

Will straightened as he shot Dipper a confused look. The Alpha just chuckled before pulling out the last card from the top, flipping it to reveal the last card as The Lovers. 

“I don’t need to even to say what this last card is but I do ask which you’d like to start with.” 

Will tapped on a random card, just wanting to see what would come next. He’d never seen Dipper do any of these tricks at home – or in all the time he’d spent with the Alpha, so seeing this was impressive to say the least. Dipper showed the audience the card.

The Magician.

Dipper watched the audience holler before he tucked the card back into his deck and look back at Will. The Omega smiled shyly as Mabel snorted quietly. Dipper gestured to someone backstage, though Will couldn’t see them very clearly, before a large box was wheeled to the center of the stage. Will’s eyes raked over the strange designs of stars and moons that were carved into the exterior in gold. Golden hinges were screwed into the front where a star was painted at the top of its door. Will glanced between the twins and the box nervously, staring at the holes outlined in gold that rested randomly around the exterior. Dipper just smiled at him reassuringly.

“Will, would you care to participate in this little demonstration for us?” Mabel asked sweetly, making Will jump when she walked past him. He had completely forgot she was there.

“Y-Yeah, sure.” 

His eyes followed Mabel’s silent command through her gesture toward the small box that Dipper opened the door to. He stiffened, shaking his head when he realized what they wanted him to do. The twins glanced at each other briefly before looking back at the Omega once more. Dipper was the first to speak.

“Ah, Will, you don’t have to do this if you don’t feel comfortable. You’re free to go back to your seat if you’d like.” Dipper could smell the bitterness in the omega’s scent as Will nodded. 

Dipper hummed in soft disappointment before walking forward and turning to the crowd.

“Everyone please give a warm applause for our amazing volunteer! You did amazing, Will.” Dipper led Will back into the crowd, watching the Omega begin to sniffle. He brushed his fingers over Will’s thigh before watching the crowd raise their hands excitedly, waving them about in high hopes of being picked with a rare second opportunity. Will’s body slouched in silent embarrassment as Dipper chose another in the crowd. He felt hot tears threaten to run down his cheeks as the two beside him tried to offer warm smiles. 

“You did great!” Pacifica offered, but it only made him feel worse. He ground his teeth together as the feeling of Dipper’s disappointment weighed on him. 

He’d been doing so well but…the thought of being in a box he knew absolutely nothing about terrified him. He didn’t know what the show was going to lead into, didn’t know what he’d have to do, and he panicked. He was petrified, surrounded by curious eyes and that expecting look from the alpha as if Dipper had all this hope in his abilities. He closed his hands into fists, squeezing as hard as he could before relaxing. He paid a little attention to the rest of the show, humiliation and guilt weighing on his stomach as he watched the twins continue to perform as if nothing had happened at all. He didn’t miss the worried glances Dipper made toward him every once in a while, as if making sure he was still watching the show or even still present. He wondered what the alpha would do if he left. 

The twins ended the show with the last card and Will watched Dipper lift and levitate random objects. He narrowed his eyes slightly, listening to Gideon whisper about looking for strings. He didn’t see any, but the sight of the objects shrouded in glowing blue light made his stomach curl. Something about it didn’t seem fake in the slightest, though most would be made to believe it was by the sheer logic of it. The objects themselves seem to glisten and shine in their glowing light, lifting into the air as the boy raised his outstretched hand. Dipper’s eyes even had a faint light reflecting off them – something he wondered if anyone else could see. The audience was in awe, but Will paid attention to the boy tensing on stage. If Will knew anything about the alpha he’d spent so much time with, he knew this was oddly realistic. Dipper just continued to “levitate” more and more objects, ranging from the smallest of pencils to an entire car. All continued to have a strangely radiating light around them that matched the color of the Alpha’s normal eye color. 

Will watched the alpha’s chest inhale and exhale deeply with each breath, but what caught Will’s eye was the true struggle the boy held when Mabel added another large item – what looked like a chainsaw? Will swallowed thickly as Dipper shifted his stance and rose the item as well, adding it to the cluster of heavy objects that levitated in the air above the audience. The chainsaw roared to life, the TV was playing the local news, and various other objects seemed “alive” when they weren’t plugged into anything but continued to work anyway. Will’s guilt ceased slightly as he watched the objects dance around them before returning to the stage. They landed softly between the twins as Dipper panted heavily. Mabel rose her hands as the audience jumped to their feet, roaring in applause as Dipper smiled weakly. The boy walked up to stand next to his sister, panting heavily as he bowed with his twin. 

Will watched flowers shower the twins, but his main concern landed on Dipper’s heavy breathing. The boy had broken a sweat despite the “act”, which made Will even more curious. There were no strings that he’d seen, nor were there any hidden tricks – and with Dipper’s genuine exhaustion, he was beginning to wonder if it truly was just a magic trick. He hadn’t seen Mabel perform any outrageous magic tricks herself, but Dipper seemed to pull the acts that were deemed impossible. The disappearing act in itself was unreal, but what really made him curious was if Dipper himself was the patient that he’d read about before. The thought didn’t sit well with his stomach as the cheering and hooting of the audience around him echoed. The twins rose, beaming at the audience before Dipper’s eyes met Will’s. The Omega wasn’t so sure he knew the true side of Dipper anymore. 

Dipper stepped back as the curtains closed in front of his sister and him. Will heard people chatter animatedly around him as he thought carefully. If Dipper was the patient, then it was possible that had a tie in to the other night when he’d found him – and about why Dipper was in the woods. But a simple magic show wouldn’t prove anything, but it was a step in the right direction. At least, he thought it was. 

“That was fake.” Gideon huffed beside him. He heard Pacifica slap his arm. 

“Gid, that was so epic! You can’t even pretend you didn’t think it was awesome.”

“It can be impressive and still fake, Paz.” Gideon pouted before turning to look at Will. “What did you think of it?”

“I-I thought it was very good.” 

“You don’t have to say that because you’re Dipper’s friend, you know.” The boy teased gently. 

“I-I know.” Will’s anxiety slowly crept back up as he watched the crowd begin to shuffle out of the tent. 

He didn’t know if he was supposed to go backstage or if someone would come out for him. He didn’t want to be stuck with Gideon and Pacifica, but he didn’t want to go backstage when he wasn’t supposed to. He watches Gideon stand up and stretch before excusing himself to grab a final snack before hitting the road. Pacifica rolled her eyes playfully before turning to Will, who was more than unwilling to either sit in awkward silence or listen to her chatter. Unfortunately, she continued regardless.

“So, Will, how did you meet Dipper?”

Will tensed. Oh, he really did not feel like having this conversation right now. And while the thought of revealing himself as Dipper’s mate was more than a little appealing, he decided to bite his tongue for now. He’d much rather see her face when the words came out of Dipper’s mouth. 

“O-Our families knew each other.” 

“That’s so cool!” Pacifica grinned, leaning back in her chair to position herself to look at him better. “Do you like him?”

“Eh?” Will jumped, looking at her in shock.

“You know, is he still all snippy with you or has he finally warmed up to you? It took me and Gideon forever for him to stop glaring at us all the time.”

“A-Ah, y-yeah, yeah I like him.” In more ways than one. 

“He can be a nice guy, though he’s kindof weird, too.” 

“Weird?” Will felt a pang of possessiveness simmer slightly.

“Like he’s hiding something all the time. He acts all tough and scary, but my uncle told me people who were like that always had something to hide.”

Will did his best not to narrow his eyes at the other omega. He wasn’t sure what she was trying to imply, but he didn’t like it in the slightest. She continued, oblivious to his growing bitterness.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if he actually had another side to him that no one knew about. If he said he was a werewolf or something it wouldn’t really be a shock.” Pacifica giggled, though it did little to make Will’s bristling cease. 

He assumed it was easy for her to say such things to him because she had no idea, but he felt oddly annoyed with the way she talked about his mate. As if, for some reason, it was perfectly okay to say things like this about him behind his back. 

“In all the years that I’ve known him he’s always been a little strange. Doesn’t mean he’s any less adorable in his own way, though.” 

“Hm.” Will replied, before he saw the curtains shift. 

He turned to see Dipper slide a hand through the curtain to open it before soft blue eyes landed on him. The smile that spread across the alpha’s face was bright and Will could feel Pacifica follow his gaze to Will in silent confusion. 

“There you are. Why don’t you come on back with me, Will?”

“Okay.”

Will pushed himself off the chair, more than eager to leave the female Omega’s side. He quickly made his way back onto the stage, still feeling that quiver of anxiety from earlier spark in his gut. He quickly slipped under the curtain where Dipper was holding it open before the Alpha closed it behind him and slipped a hand into his. 

“How’d you like the show?” Dipper squeezed his hand. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay.” Will smiled meekly. “And I-I thought it was good. You’re quite the p-performer.”

“You think so?” Dipper glanced around briefly before pulling the omega closer with his free hand, wrapping it around Will’s waist bravely. Will’s eyebrows rose as Dipper leaned in hesitantly before kissing him softly. The omega smiled into the kiss, pressing back just as warmly before they pulled back. 

“Dipper!” Mabel’s voice called out from behind stage, breaking the moment only slightly. Dipper’s arm still remained pressed against the small of Will’s back. “Did you get Will yet or not?”

The alpha rolled his eyes, earning a soft laugh from the Omega in his arms.

“Yes, Mabel!” Dipper shouted back before turning back to Will with a gentle whisper. “Are you sure you’re okay? I really am sorry about earlier.”

“It’s r-really alright.”

Dipper nodded, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced. Will squeezed his hand before the alpha tugged him further backstage. He looked over Dipper’s body, realizing the boy still looked fairly worn from the show. 

There was no way it was all an act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter than expected, but so much fun to write!  
> Also, no more Ciphers! I've decided to stop doing them. If you'd like to see the rest of them I'd be more than happy to give them to you on my tumblr, but from now on they're not going to be in the notes anymore.  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to drop them comments, they motivate me to keep workin' hard! ^^


	17. A Truth Among Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the late chapter, but the schedule will be right back to normal from this point on (meaning there will be another chapter on Thursday/Friday once again!).

Dipper and Mabel had walked him home, chattering excitedly about the show and the audience as Dipper and his hands remained intertwined between them. He had no idea there was so much to the show, but hearing the twins describe some of the tricks was fascinating. Though, as Will had expected, some of the performance remained a "secret". 

"It's a family secret." Mabel teased when he asked about the final act. "And you're part of the family, but not officially - just yet, anyway."

Dipper shot her an incredulous look before tugging Will closer to him.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Mabel."

"What? I'm just being honest." The female alpha chuckled as they slowly made their way up the main stairway. 

Will had watched Dipper roll his eyes before Mabel had branched off when they reached Will's room. He waved her a goodnight before turning back to Dipper who was smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you for coming tonight." 

"Thank you f-for inviting me. I had fun." Will returned the warm smile as Dipper slipped his hand of of their intertwined hold before gently cupping Will's cheek. 

"I'm glad." The alpha leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Will's forehead, humming softly as he pulled away. 

They stood there for a moment, unsure of what the next step should be. Will's mind still lingered on the past events, knowing now that Dipper had to be a victim of something - though of what, he didn't know. He watched cyan eyes looked between his own warmly and he relaxed. He always looked at him so tenderly, as if he were the world. Will swallowed his doubts and leaned forward, kissing Dipper gently and biting back the smile that threatened to spread when he felt the alpha stiffen in shock. Arms wrapped around his shoulders and waist to pull him closer and Will actually giggled against Dipper's mouth then. The alpha pulled back with a dazed grin, smile spreading widely across his face as his cheeks flushed a bright red. 

"You're breathtaking, William." Dipper breathed quietly between them. 

Will watched the alpha's face shift for a moment before the embrace tightened slightly. The Omega looked at him curiously as Dipper licked his lips quickly and glanced down the hallway.

"Will...if I said I would tell you something very sensitive, would you promise to stay with me no matter what?"

Will blinked before nodding. Dipper bit into his lower lip before grabbing Will's hand and tugging him out of the hallway. He followed carefully, feeling the moisture between their hands and the suddenly anxious look on the alpha's face as they approached Dipper's room. Dipper pushed it open easily, quickly guiding Will inside before stopping.

"No, this wouldn't be..." Dipper whispered to himself before grabbing Will's hand once more. "Come with me."

"O-Okay." 

Would this be it? Would Dipper tell him the truth? Will's heart thumped in anticipation as the other quietly rushed them out the front door. The hair on the back of his neck stood as he glanced back to watch the manor slowly disappear behind tall trunks of trees. He turned back to Dipper, who was continuing to tug him along further and further into the woods. Will did feel fear begin to bubble as something urged him to turn back. Perhaps Dipper was not what he seemed - maybe a murderer or something horrific enough for him to have hid it this long. Will's thoughts darkened the longer they walked, but his curiosity forced his feet to continue forward. 

Eventually the alpha stopped, back stiff and facing him before the alpha let his hand go. 

"I...I need you to answer me on something."

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you love me?"

Will's heart dropped. He opened his mouth before closing it. Dipper turned to look at him before pursing his lips at the heavy silence that rested between them. The air was tense and heavy for several minutes before Dipper continued. 

"When I was younger, there were some things about...myself...that I couldn't talk about with anyone outside of the family." Dipper closed and opened his fists. "Things that not even my parents would stay around to help me through." 

"W-What do you mean?" Will's voice stuck, feeling odd against the silent night air. 

"My parents left Mabel and me with our great-uncles when I became difficult to handle." 

"D-Difficult?" Will tensed, hesitantly taking a single step back. Could it possibly be that Dipper was the creature in the woods this entire time? Was it possible the boy would hurt him? 

"I think it would be better if I showed you...and then you'd understand." Dipper gestured to the ground, encouraging Will to sit.

Will stared at him for a long moment before obeying. Something inside him told him it was okay, that same strange feeling that promised him that this alpha - this strange boy - was someone to trust despite all the evidence that Dipper had against him. He settled in the grass, bending his knees before looking up to watch Dipper stare at him intensely. 

"I'm not going to hurt you." As if to prove this, Dipper seats himself across from him before holding his hand out. 

Will slips his hand over Dipper's before the space between their hands begins to beam a soft blue light. His hand feels oddly warm and he yelps in surprise, pulling his hand back before he stares into Dipper's outstretched hand. Inside, his eyes widen when a small, gooey blob begins to shift and move in Dipper's hand. Suddenly it takes the form of a small lion with its small paws slipping and allowing itself to fall forward to crash into Dipper's palm. Will's eyebrows furrow before he turns to look at Dipper, who just smiles weakly at him.

"W-What is this? A magic trick?"

"Something like that." The alpha's voice is quiet as he closes his hand. The light fizzles out before flickering into a blue flame in the alpha's hand. "But...not quite."

"I don't understand." 

"The show...what you saw earlier? I'm afraid it's not as fake as some would have you believe." The blue flame flickered in Dipper's hand easily, hovering just above the soft flesh as it glowed between them. 

Will stared at the flame before looking to see Dipper's eyes glow softly against the darkness of the forest night. He waits as the alpha takes a deep breath.

"I...want to tell you the truth."

The flame in Dipper's hand fizzled into his palm before fading completely. It left them in the dark of the forest and Will felt a chill crawl down his back. He felt like they were being watched suddenly, but his attention remained on the boy in front of him. 

"I can use magic like this at any time - if I'm not tired."

"B-But how?"

"That patch that you found before...the Weirdmageddon Labs patch..." Dipper ran his other hand through his hair. "I was a part of it when I was a child." 

"A part of it? Like...an experiment?" Will's chest tightened. 

"Stanford was working on a way to enhance certain characteristics in alphas and omegas." Dipper moved his fingers close to Will's and the omega could see the fear that flickered in his eyes. "And when he thought he'd finally found the right formula...well...he wanted to test it on me."

"B-But why you?" Will's throat tightened as he felt himself stiffen. 

"I was sick." Dipper's frown stretched further as his fingers moved closer, barely touching Will's. "I was an incredibly sick pup and...while Mabel was healthy, I had reached the end of the road. My parents had assumed it was the end but Stanford refused to give up." 

"When I came to, I was healthier than ever. I could walk, I could speak easily, I could do everything Mabel could. But it came at a price." Dipper stared at Will's fingers as his fingers hooked under Will's. "My blood was mixed with a creature I'll never know personally, but it saved me. Stanford and that creature saved my life." 

Dipper's gaze turned back up to meet Will's watery ones. The alpha moved his hand further to intertwine their fingers, hoping this wouldn't be the last time it happened. His heart weighed heavily in his heart as he memorized the warmth of the boy's fingers in between his own. Will remained silent as he bit into his lower lip.

"Project Cipher was...not an easy thing for Stanford to handle. I, among a few others, were very difficult to handle. Some of us...passed on." Dipper grimaced. "And the rest of us were hidden away. Stanford keeps in touch with some of them, which was partly why he'd been away when you came." 

"B-Because he was visiting the others." Will blinked, looking away to scan the trees absently. "W-What happened to it? The o-organization?" 

"It collapsed. The lab was ransacked. All his work had been burned and all evidence that it ever existed was destroyed." Dipper rubbed his thumb over Will's hand. "Except for us few that were hidden in time."

"My parents...didn't take nicely to it. While I survived, I was seen as...well, as a freak. I would accidentally start fires, I would levitate things, I would even summon things without even knowing it. I was seen as a...a monster." The alpha's voice was thick as he wrapped his other hand around Will's hand. "I couldn't...I couldn't do anything after that. Stanford had taken me and Mabel had insisted she go wherever I went."

Dipper went silent and Will could see tears well up in the alpha's eyes. The boy sniffles before squeezing Will's hand, as if testing the waters, before Will relaxed scooted forward and closed the gap between them. He rested his forehead against Dipper's, hearing the alpha choke on a sob before his hand was squeezed even tighter. 

"I didn't tell you because I was so afraid." Dipper trembled. "You were the first one I've ever wanted to keep around that wasn't my family. I...I couldn't lose you. I can't lose you." 

Will felt his chest tighten as the alpha removed his hands and instead wrapped them around Will's waist. Will purred softly, moving his hands to rest against the alpha's thighs before slowly massaging them. 

"A-And the magic shows were just ways to...to spend and harness my energy. But I wanted you to see me and maybe even think of me as something great." Dipper spilled, sniffling weakly. "I wanted you to see that I'm not a...a monster." 

Will felt guilt weigh in his stomach the longer the alpha exposed himself. He pulled away slightly before gently cupping the alpha's face, forcing those piercing, glowing eyes to meet his own. His breath hitched when they seemed to flicker with beaming light, as if they themselves were powered from the blue flames that Dipper harnessed. He smiled before closing the gap between them, gently pressing his lips against the alpha's. Dipper shivered before leaning forward, allowing his eyes to fall shut as he returned the tender affection.

"I'm so sorry." Will whispered quietly when they pulled back. Dipper rested his forehead against Will's before moving to rest his hands against the side of the omega's neck. "You're n-not a monster. You'll n-never be one to me."

Dipper let out a shaky breath before nodding slightly. Will pursed his lips briefly, feeling something press against him mentally. Something he should have said a long time ago. 

"D-Dipper." 

The alpha's eyes met his and he swallowed thickly. He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth before finally bracing himself. 

"I...I think...that..." Will watched those tender eyes watch him carefully. 

"I love you."


	18. Heard Of An Old Friend

Dipper's eyes widened as he stared at Will in shock. His mouth hung open slightly and Will was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the endless silence that rested between them. His heart was pounding so hard he swore it would beat out of his chest. 

"I-I um...I take that ba-"

"You can't." Dipper suddenly smiles brightly and his eyes glow softly in the dark. "You can't take it back."

Will's face heats as Dipper's smile only grows. It's adorable - the sweetest thing he's ever seen - but Will only has moments before lips crash into his. He stiffens, still surprised when Dipper pulls back with an excited grin.

"I love you, too." Dipper wipes his eyes with the back of his hand before letting out a warbled laugh between them. 

Will can see relief wash over the alpha and he offers a tender smile back when Dipper wipes more tears from his face.

"S-Sorry. Sorry. I'm normally not a crybaby, I promise." Dipper sniffles as he turns his attention to the ground between his legs. 

"I know." Will is still curious - especially seeing Dipper's eyes continue to glow softly. He wondered just how far Dipper's magic went - how much he could control. 

Will brings his hands up to gently cup the alpha's face before rubbing thumbs over Dipper's cheeks. He's embarrassed and feels a little silly, but when cyan eyes meet his - well, he finds the boy in front of him more important than his low self-esteem. Hands gently rest over his and Dipper's cheeks flush slightly before the alpha bites his lower lip in silent thought. 

"Hey...Will?" 

"Mhm?" 

"Would you like to see something?" 

Will's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Dipper pulled away from his grasp. The alpha situated himself, fidgeting slightly before his hands rested between them. Dipper gestured for him to put his hands over his own, to which he obeyed cautiously. 

"I've been practicing this for the day when you...finally knew the truth." 

Will watched as a blue flame slowly flickered to life in his hand. He stiffened, looking at Dipper for support but the boy just smiled softly down at their hands. He realized he wasn't being burned - it wasn't hot or burning him at all. He blinked and stared down at it, watching it curve and morph in his palm until it stretched itself. A long stem rested in his palm and he watched petals form at one end, curling outward in a beautiful blue hue until its glow faded into his hand. His mouth hung agape slightly when he closed his hand. It was a solid flower, almost as if he'd plucked it from a garden himself. He pinched it between his fingers as he examined its soft exterior. 

"I-It's beautiful." 

"I can do other things as well." 

To Will, it was incredible. He watched Dipper summon small creatures that almost felt like they had a mind of their own - a small lion bounced around his hands and Dipper showed him the way he could float small rocks. 

"Nothing like that tarot card trick though, huh?" Dipper teased as he slid his hand around Will's and intertwined their fingers. 

"That was p-pretty impressive." Will watched Dipper straighten proudly. 

"Thank you! I taught myself that trick, you know." 

"Mm."

"And this other stuff? Also self-taught. Well, Stanford helped me with harnessing my magic at first, but the manifestations are all my doing." 

"Really?"

"Really! I have the ability to defend, too. And attack. But that'll only be if we ever need it. The multi-bear was actually the one who taught me some of my fighting skills. He told me it would be important for the future." 

"M-Multi...bear?" Will's eyebrows furrowed.

Dipper drew his lower lip into his mouth before nodding. He watched the alpha run a hand through his hair in sudden anxiousness.

"He's an old friend."

"The one that d-disappeared?"

"Oh, no." Dipper shook his head. "No, the multi-bear is still here. He lives in the forest, actually." 

"This forest?" Will glanced around then, wondering if that was source of his previous feeling of being watched. 

"He's probably awake by now. He normally makes his rounds on the other side of the town."

"What does he look like?" Will's thoughts went back to the creature he'd seen roam the woods before around their house. 

"Truthfully, he's terrifying until you get to know him." The alpha scraped his shoe against the dirt. "I think you'd like him if you met him." 

Will felt a little uneasy at this, but this could answer some of his questions. If this multi-bear was the creature that had been following him since he'd arrived, he could possibly get some information as to why. With Dipper, he knew he'd be safe. 

The alpha squeezed his hand, drawing his attention once more.

"You can meet him tonight if you want. I come to see him at night whenever I get the chance."

"S-So he's the reason you leave at night all the time?" Will tilted his head slightly.

"Mhm." Dipper nodded. "He was the reason I was in the forest that night you ran into the woods." 

"Ah." Will scratched the back of his ear bashfully.

"He knows that you're my mate - er, soon-to-be mate. He's actually been asking to meet you, if that's okay with you."

Will watched Dipper slowly get up and he followed, though there was a part in his mind nagging him to go home. 

"S-Sure."

That same strange force tugged on him to go home, but Dipper's hand held him firmly. He rubbed his thumb over Dipper's hand and decided to go against his instinct for once. He needed to start trusting his alpha.

Dipper took a few steps and Will followed, smiling at the alpha as they walked further into the woods. He felt that anxious weight in his chest tug harder, but when Dipper leaned to the side to kiss his cheek, he decided to relax for once. 

His alpha would protect him from any harm. 

\--

In the distance, an old, buried artifact slowly emerges from the ground with a single harsh wind. Its corners are caked in dried mud and its sides are torn, but it's time. 

Its new owner has arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter! Had to cut it short cause of some personal things that came up, but next week I'll be bringin' in some more mysteries and answering some others eheh and what could this new artifact be? Looks like Will's got some new mysteries to solve!


	19. Meet The Multi-Headed Beast

The alpha had tugged him along for quite some time now. The dirt had gone soft and mushy as his feet sunk into mud. The trees themselves were crooked and twisted above them, giving Will an uneasy feeling as he glanced around the forest. He felt like they were being watched, swearing he could see glowing eyes watch their movements and follow them the further they got into the forest. 

"We're almost there." Dipper states over the sound of rustling branches as the alpha pushes them to the side to allow Will through. 

The omega carefully passes, his uneasiness growing as he's met with the large mouth of a cave before him. It whistles with the wind and Will feels a cold chill run down his spine. 

"U-Um, D-Dipper, I don't like th-this." Will whimpers. Something is telling him not to go in. He doesn't know what to make of this clenching fear, but Dipper just takes his hand again and kisses his cheek.

"It's okay, I promise. It seems scary, but there's no danger here."

His gut tells him otherwise. Every fabric of his body tells him to be cautious, as if something dark lied in this cave. Dipper gently led him inside and he glanced back at the fading opening. He swore he saw a shadow watch them enter in the form of something he swore he'd seen before, but when he blinked, it was gone. 

"Multibear!" Dipper called out, listening to his voice echo along the cave walls. 

"Dipper?" A single gruff voice responded. 

Will's heart stopped when several eyes glowed in the darkness at him. He stiffened in Dipper's grasp until the alpha snapped his fingers. Blue flames illuminated the cave and Will could see why the creature was named the way it was. Several bear heads emerged from a single body, all looking in different directions until they saw Will. They moved in sync to state at him, pupils shrinking when they met his eye and Will's entire body froze. He couldn't believe it - that something like this could even exist. All of its heads were functioning, with eyes and mouths and snouts all moving and working on their own. It had to be five heads at least. Will had sworn his entire life he'd been told something like this wasn't even possible - but it stood right before him. Something told him to run, but Dipper's hand held him tightly. 

"Multibear, hello." Dipper smiled, but the multibear didn't break his gaze with Will. 

"You've brought a friend." The voice was lower, suspicious, as the creature rose to its hind legs. 

Will felt something in him lurch and try to force him to run. The creature looked like it knew something he didn't, a secret that he wasn't sure existed, but it held an air of caution toward him. His golden eyes seemed to flow in the dark as they looked him up and down. Will thought it was hard to breathe the longer it stared at him. He wondered how Dipper had even come across a creature like this, or how it hadn't been discovered yet. 

"This is my mate, William." Dipper looked back and smiled at Will. The boy just swallowed and raised a hand nervously to wave back at the multibear.

"H-Hi." He squeaked. 

"Hello, Mr. William." The creature narrowed its eyes in the main head. The other heads grit their teeth or stared at him from the side of their eyes as the main head turned to look at Dipper. Will could see giant, clawed paws rest against a large barreled chest. The creature could kill him with one single swipe from its paw alone. 

"I take it he's the one you've been talking about all this time?" 

"He is. I was going to show him around the forest tonight."

"To meet the others?" Others? William felt nauseous. There were other creatures like this? 

"Of course." 

The multibear blinked and looked at Will once again. The boy stiffened before offering a shy smile. 

"I'm sure they will be most pleased to finally meet you." 

"Th-Thank you." Will swallowed thickly. He could feel a cold chill in his veins still whenever those eyes rested on his own. 

The entire cave itself seemed to be drawing a fear from him but he wasn't sure the source of it was. The multibear could be it, from the way it seemed to loom over him as if he'd do something wrong at any minute. 

"Would you like to come with us?"

"Sure - I was just about to go on my rounds." Finally, finally those eyes weren't on him and Will visibly relaxed. Dipper grinned at him and he smiled weakly back. The bear fell to his feral stance, his large paws thumping against the cave floor as he slowly made his way back where they had come from. Will felt nervous when he saw just how large the black claws on the bear were, scraping across the hard rock floor.

"Have you showed him your magic abilities already, Dipper?" 

"Earlier, yes." Dipper squeezed Will's hand. "Not all, but most of them."

"And what did you think of them, Mr. William?"

"Th-They were amazing!" Will peeped, hoping it was the right answer. The multibear just glanced at him before continuing forward. He took a soft breath in relief. 

"Before you introduce him to everyone, Dipper, I must ask you to run an errand for me." The multibear watched Dipper break their handholding to walk forward. He mumbled something to the human, glancing at Will once as Dipper nodded. Will felt a little relief from being outside of the cave, but his uneasiness still hadn't faded. The chill and feeling of someone watching still made him tense as he quickly glanced around the forest. Maybe what he'd seen before had just been a figment of his imagination? 

"I see." Dipper turned to Will, who met his gaze quickly. "I have to do something real quick, are you okay staying here for a short while? I'll be right back." 

Will wanted to say no. He really wanted to shake his head and demand Dipper take him, but he just nodded and smiled. The alpha grinned and nodded at the multibear before running off. Will swore Dipper had to trust this creature quite a bit to leave him alone with it after only just meeting. They watched the alpha leave before the multibear turned to look at him with all of his heads. 

"You're not a normal omega, are you?"

"I-I'm sorry?" Will wrung his hands, thinking if he could even outrun the bear f he needed to. "O-Oh- um...I-I'm not sure what you mean."

"Do you know what you are?" 

"W-Who I am?" Will's eyebrows furrowed. "I-I'm...William Cipher?"

The multibear narrowed its eyes at Will for a brief moment. Will felt the hairs on his neck stand before the bear broke out into guffaws. Will nearly had a heart attack as he watched the multiple heads laugh.

"I'm sorry, you seemed so frightened, I couldn't keep it up!" The multibear grinned. "Please, do not be frightened. I will not harm you."

"O-Oh." Will clutched his chest before laughing nervously. 

"Now that Dipper is gone, I must introduce myself properly, as he should have done." The creature grinned. "I am the multibear, one of the guardians of this forest." 

"One?"

"Oh, there are others, but they have been gone for quite some time." The beast's heads looked amused. "Some, I am quite thankful for their absences."

Will didn't know what to make of that, but he just smiled. The multibear stood on his haunches, looking down at William. The bear still seemed curious, however, and Will just stared back at him in the shared awkward silence. 

"You have been here before, child." The multibear narrowed his eyes slightly. "At least, I think you have."

"I-I'm sorry, but I grew up elsewhere. I-I've never been here before." Will watched the bear tilt his head slightly. 

"Do you really believe that?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Do you know what you are?" The bear's chest widened and narrowed with every heavy breath. Will opened his mouth to respond with a curious question before rustling caught their attentions. Dipper huffed and held several flowers out for the bear, who accepted them in large paws. The multibear rumbled in amusement as Will looked at the alpha curiously. 

"He can't pick them himself." Dipper explains as he eyed the bear suspiciously. "Or so he says."

"Forgive me, but their location must remain a secret from outsiders for now." The multibear looked at Will before raising an eyebrow at Dipper. "And I cannot pick them myself. My claws are not meant for that kind of labor."

"Labor." Dipper scoffed.

"W-What do you use them for?" 

The multibear's ears twitched and he smiled.

"Medicinal purposes."

Will's eyebrows furrowed as Dipper brought one of the flowers close enough for Will to look at. It really was beautiful, with its stark white pedals shimmering in the moonlight. Dipper looked at him before gently placing it in the palm of his hand.

"You can keep this one if you want. I brought an extra for you."

"Th-Thank you." Will smiled before watching the multibear slowly make his way back into the cave. Dipper tugged on his shirt slightly to catch his attention.

"So? What do you think of him?"

"H-He seems very...friendly." 

"That's what I meant before. He looks terrifying, but he's really not that bad." Dipper lifted Will's free hand and kissed the back of it. 

Will blushed and looked down at Dipper with a bashful smile. The alpha lifted Will's other hand where he'd been holding the flower.

"This flower is unknown to the town - to the world, even." Dipper twirled it in Will's hands and the omega's eyes widened when it seemed to sparkle and glimmer like a diamond in his fingers. "It has strange properties that can heal almost any wound." 

"R-Really?"

"Really. Save for broken bones, but say I cut my hand open." Dipper placed the flower back in Will's hand. "It could completely heal it within seconds." 

"Th-That's incredible." Will stares down at it for a few more moments before meeting Dipper's eyes. The alpha smiles softly back at him.

"You're incredible." 

Will feels himself stammer as Dipper's hand gently cups his cheek. His heart flutters when lips meet his and for a brief moment, his uneasiness fades. He relaxes into the soft kiss before Dipper pulls away with a tender smile.

"I love you." 

Will's body warms as he hears the heavy footsteps of the multibear approach them once more. He grips the flower stem between his fingers as they turn to look at the creature.

"Ready?"

Will nods, though he's not entirely sure he is. He watched Dipper grab his hand and he carefully slips the flower into his pocket as they make their way deeper into the forest, following the beast. Will thinks back to what the beast had said, however. 

He's never been here before...right? And what did he mean by what Will was? Will was Will.

The omega felt uneasy as he looked behind them in the forest. He'd hoped the multibear was the shadow that had been following him this whole time, but something told him otherwise as he stared back at twisted and darkened trees.

No, whatever was following him was still out there, watching him. 

He squeezed Dipper's hand tightly. 

\--

From ahead, the beast with many faces glances back and looks at the omega with a narrowed eye. 

Something was not right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the schedule got...a little messed up there for a while, but I'm working on getting back on track once again! I won't let this fic fall, I swear! Thank you to everyone who has been patient with me, I hope to have this fic back up and running once again!


	20. Instincts Run Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe it's the fact that Will's had the wildest day of his life or maybe it's just the way Dipper looks at him, but Will feels that familiar heat curl in his gut - it's not unwelcome, but he can see it in the alpha's eyes. He's not the only one feeling it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : This chapter does have nsfw elements.

When they get home, Will's rightfully exhausted. Dipper had showed him everything from whispering waterfalls to sarcastic gnomes and oddly patterned platypus creatures. It was all fascinating and all very, extremely, overwhelming. Never in his life had he thought he'd see beasts like this - only dreaming of them when he was a young pup in the city. Will was grateful for the alpha's openness, but it made him weary. How long had Dipper known about such creatures? Why did he know about them? Had his odd powers led him to seek them out or vice versa? 

Even more confusing to the young omega came the multi-headed bear, whose tone always held a suspicious doubt when addressing him. Will wasn't sure what to make of that, with him seeming overly friendly to make up for whatever thoughts he had of him. And he had asked if Will had remembered this place far too many times to be joking - but Will knew nothing of it. He'd say no, that he'd never been here in his life, and the creature would jokingly state that to city people, all woods looked the same. 

Will had a feeling that's not the point the bear was originally making. 

When they'd finally made it home, Will's hand had been interlocked with Dipper's the majority of the night. Their palms were a little sweaty and they were both clearly exhausted. Will's feet throbbed and his mind was reeling. Questions continued to whirl through his mind as he thought about the shadowed creature that had stopped following them - or stopped making it obvious, anyway - halfway through the night. He thought to ask Dipper about it, but the alpha was so caught up with showing him around he decided against it. 

The sight of the manor made Will's shoulders slouch in relief. Dipper ran a hand through his hair and smiled tiredly at the omega. 

"Tired?"

"V-Very much so." Will breathed, feeling Dipper squeeze his hand reassuringly. 

He wasn't sure how to thank Dipper for everything he'd showed him tonight. Or how to apologize for his silent accusations - not that Dipper really knew of them. He still felt guilty and a little saddened by the alpha's past life and, strangely, a part of him wished he could fix it. 

They trudged through the front door and finally, Dipper let Will's hand free. The omega missed the loss almost immediately as he wiped his hands on his pants to dry them. He felt thoroughly disgusting and in need of a shower, but his body ached with the increasing want to procrastinate that until the morning. Dipper must have been thinking the same as the alpha made his way up the stairs with a single glance back at Will. 

The omega followed tiredly. 

"So, what did you think?" Dipper offered quietly, soft eyes meeting Will's as they reached the top of the stairs.

"I-It was...something e-else entirely." Will shook his head in light disbelief. Dipper smiled brightly at this, making Will's stomach flip at the sight. 

Had Dipper always been this dazzling? He was pretty sure - but maybe not. Will had been so caught up with accusing Dipper or the family of atrocious acts that he'd forgotten to see Dipper for who he was - a lonely alpha who wanted to impress his new omega fiancé. He could see now that he'd been foolish and maybe even a little cruel, but the curl in his gut and the warmth between them made his instincts bubble in silent suggestion. 

They stood in front of Will's door then, as the alpha walked him back - always. Will worried his lower lip slightly as he and Dipper stood awkwardly in front of his door. He wasn't sure how he could put this into words, if he even should, and the very thought made his face flush. He finally licked his lips and met the alpha's eyes, a embarrassed grimace (he meant for it to be a smile, he really did) stretching across his face.

"I-I um..."

Dipper looks at him questioningly - maybe even expectingly. It's clear the alpha doesn't want to push him, and Will doesn't want to push them either. But maybe this is a little overdue, and maybe the curling in his cut and the energy between them is the push he's needed. Maybe, just maybe, he really did love the alpha and maybe - maybe he should try a little harder to prove it. 

"W-Would you...like...to c-come in?" The words are heavy on Will's tongue and his heart is racing. He's never done something like this before and he's sure he's going to mess it up. 

Dipper's eyes brighten at his words and the blush that makes the alpha's cheeks rosy reflects Will's nervousness as well. He just nods in response, a goofy smile making its way across Dipper's mouth as Will busies himself with opening the door. His hands are shaking - trembling - and his previous exhaustion is long forgotten. His feet still hurt, but he walks to his bed and carefully picks up his laptop to place on the desk. His heart is rightfully pounding in his chest now as he hears Dipper close the door behind him. 

Will can't tell which is worse - the way his heart is pounding harshly or the way his gut is curling in anticipation. He has no idea what he's doing. 

He settles for climbing onto his bed and carefully taking his shoes off. He unites them and places them on the ground gingerly, watching Dipper stand awkwardly at the other side of the room. The alpha is fiddling with his fingers, much like Will does, and it's clear neither of them know how to proceed. Will just scoots back onto the bed and watches Dipper await his command. It's an odd sight to see an alpha wait for an omega. 

They make eye contact and Will shakily pats the bed next to him in gesture. Dipper swallows hard, quickly walking over to sit next to Will. He doesn't move to undo his shoes, or anything for that matter, and just stiffly sits next to the omega. Will had never imagined it would be this awkward for...his first time, but he knew they hadn't even remotely gotten to the worst of it. 

He wished he'd gotten that shower in now. 

"Do...we...ah..." Dipper tries to gesture with his hands between them. Will doesn't know what he's asking and Dipper gets more flustered at having to explain verbally. "Kiss? D-Do you want me to kiss you?"

Will tries not to, he really does, but he starts laughing. It starts as a giggle, and then he's bursting into a laugh. Dipper hesitantly laughs next to him, not entirely sure if he'd made a joke. 

"I-I...I'm not sure h-how to even do this." Will finally admits, shaking his head. "I-I've...never d-done this before in my life." 

"Neither have I." Dipper admits with a bashful smile. "I can't...promise I'll be very good at it either." 

"I-I don't even know w-what to do." Will shrugs.

"Truthfully, I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do. I've...only really seen this in movies." 

Will giggles and Dipper smiles at him. 

"They always make it seem so easy - but it's kindof awkward, isn't it?"

"Just a bit." Will can't lie, he feels a little less tense. 

Dipper reaches between them and rests a hand over Will's. Will relaxes as he turns to watch himself flip his hand under Dipper's. Dipper's eyes flicker up to meet his.

"I meant it, earlier."

Will looks at him questioningly.

"I do love you." Dipper licks his lips before swallowing. "I didn't know...when the eighth time would be to tell you, but I've felt it for a while now." 

Will's face heats. Even though he was the first to say it and it had been reciprocated quickly, he still feels a little embarrassed over the words he'd randomly blurted. At the time, he thought it might comfort Dipper - and it hadn't been a lie, he really did feel that way about the alpha. If the way his kisses and scenting made him feel were any indication, Will really did feel...love, for the other. It was comforting to know Dipper felt the same. 

"I did, too." Will whispers quietly. 

They stare at each other for a moment before Dipper slowly leans forward. Will expects it, meeting him in the middle for a gentle kiss. It's soft and tender, with Dipper using his free hand to cup his cheek. Will's body melts against the touch as Dipper slides his tongue along the bottom of Will's mouth. The omega shivers before opening his mouth, allowing Dipper entrance. 

His heartbeat is pounding in his ears as Dipper continues to lean forward, moving his hand to rest against the other side of Will on the bed. Will's crowded, carefully being leaned back onto the bed as Dipper leans over him. He's not sure what to do with his hands and if he thought he felt overwhelmed before, he surely feels it now. 

Dipper shifts over him and Will is straddled on the bed now. Dipper's knees make the bed dip on both sides of his hips as the alpha slowly kisses down his neck. Will breathes hotly when he feels Dipper nip at his neck. He feels blood rush south at the feeling and he arched his back into Dipper unexpectedly when teeth scrape against his neck. 

The moan that escapes him makes him cringe. Dipper doesn't hesitate, leaning up to kiss him again. This time it's less gentle and more passionate. He sucks Will's lower lip between teeth and the omega whimpers. The feeling of fangs gently nip his lip make him shiver. He takes a shaky breath in through his nose when his eyes flicker open - when had he closed them? - to meet Dipper's. They're half-lidded, full of warmth and Will feels safe. He lifts his hands to curl in Dipper's hair, hearing and feeling the air vibrate between them when the alpha rumbles in happiness. 

That does something to him - he doesn't know how to explain it, but he wants to hear Dipper rumble like that all the time. 

The alpha rests his forehead against Will's as they pant softly. Will feels dizzy as he rests the palms of his hands against Dipper's neck. They're sweaty, but Will doesn't mind it because he's aware of just how much he can tell from Dipper's scent. He doesn't smell purely of cologne and just a hint of his scent - it's all Dipper now. His scent is smooth and thick, but not at all in a horrible way. It's deep and it makes Will's body feel even hotter. He's not sure if that's the temperature of the room anymore or if his body is just overwhelmed. 

Dipper's eyes are blown when he meets them, nearly completely black as the alpha breathes above him. Dipper shifts again, nosing Will's neck before Will feels a tongue lick a slow stripe up the side of his jugular. He moans, rolling his hips up against Dipper's and he's blushing when he feels something hard meet the inside of his thigh. 

"You smell amazing." Dipper breathes against his neck. It's soft, like a confession, and Will's entire body is tingling. 

Will bites into his lower lip when he feels Dipper's lips against the soft skin, suddenly sucking on it. He whimpers when Dipper drops his hips and rolls against his own. Will can definitely feel it now - the alpha's arousal against his own. The awkward nervousness feels distant when Will's instincts threaten to take over. He's not sure why he's less hesitant now, but his mind is fogging as he struggles to breathe properly. He's panting - he's so hot it's strange and he's beginning to feel wet, as if he's -

Oh.

Dipper pulls back and it's clear to both of them then when Will's tongue presses against the back of his teeth. Dipper's pressed against his pants and the scent of Will in the air is clear to both of them what the alpha accidentally triggered. 

Will thinks for a moment Dipper is going to stop, because neither of them are actually sure of what to do in this situation. They're not even sure what they're doing now, making out and bumping against each other without a clue of what they're supposed to do afterwards. But Dipper just smirks down at him - a smirk that's dark and lustful and Will has never seen something like that before. 

He doesn't stop Dipper when he scrapes teeth along his neck once more, obviously in a quiet warning to what he's about to do. Will thinks about stopping him but he gets it. He knows it. Dipper's his mate and nothing would change that. Not running away on a bus to his parents, not avoiding the alpha - somehow, the alpha had won his heart over and there was no point in hiding it. 

Will bares his neck, turning his head to give Dipper more room to work with. He's not thinking straight, he knows it, but he doesn't want anything more in that moment. He can hear Dipper growl lowly, possessively, and it sends sparks down Will's spine. The omega whines quietly, feeling Dipper buck his hips against his own minutely before Dipper's tugging his shirt down further. There's a few laps of a tongue against heated skin and Will wants to tell him to hurry before he tenses. 

Dipper doesn't bite him and it drives Will crazy. Instead, Dipper tugs his shirt up and over his head before a single hand rests against his chest. It rises and falls with each of Will's breaths before Dipper rumbles above him. 

"You won't be able to turn back after this."

"I-I wasn't planning on it." Will breathes, loving the way Dipper looks thoroughly disheveled. 

"I'll be yours and you'll be mine - for life." Dipper swallows and Will can see absolute truth in this eyes. There's no doubt in them and there's no doubt in Will's for the first time since he's gotten here.

"For life." Will repeats. He wonders if he'll regret this later only for a brief moment before he throws the idea out. 

He's never followed his instincts before, but tonight, they run rampant.

Tonight, he decides to let them lead.


	21. Sugar, We're Going Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "S-Stanford, it's here." 
> 
> Stanford's jaw clenched. 
> 
> "I'm afraid we have another issue as well, my boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contain some nsfw elements.

Dipper sucks on the side of his neck softly, then harshly, feeling the omega moan and arch up to press against him. He hums as he lifts Will's legs and wrap them around his waist. He has absolutely no idea if he's doing any of this right, but his instincts give him no time to properly analyze his motions. Everything feels hazy as he gulps down more and more of Will's heady scent. It's intoxicating - enough to drown in, really. The perfect example of an aphrodisiac - it's making every breath heavy and hot between them. All he can do is keep rolling his hips against Will's groin as he sucks on soft flesh to prepare for the true moment. He moves to grip one of Will's hands against the bed as the other slowly tugs on the omega's belt and undoes his pants. 

He pulls away long enough to admire the bright red marks he's made on the side of Will's neck from his harsh treatment. And then he has the view of Will's chest rising and falling so deeply and powerfully, as if every breath is lifesaving and Dipper loves it. He has no idea why, but the way Will looks at him then - eyes half-lidded and lips puffy from biting and kissing - it drives him mad. He yanks the remainder of Will's clothes off, growling lowly as Will trembles desperately under him. 

His fangs are throbbing - oh, he's never felt anything like this before. It's a hunger that reaches his heart, making his nerves spark with want the longer he sees Will mewling under him. His eyes fall to the omega's hardened length between them, leaving Dipper's whole body drumming with unspoken lust. He has no idea where to even start because every single part of the boy under him is enticing - he wants it all. His mouth waters before he swallows thickly and quickly gets rid of his own previously forgotten clothes. 

He thinks back, briefly, to the videos he's seen in his past. Of omega anatomy, of the books he's read with intimate scenes, of stories he's overheard in town. He has no idea where to properly start, but the way his magic is vibrating through his blood - he knows he needs to do something, and quickly. 

For a moment, he wonders what would happen if they mated. Would his magic affect Will in some way? Would it be dangerous? Stanford had assured him it wouldn't be - that he'd be fine, but it nags at the back of his mind. How does magic affect bonds? There's been no research but...what would happen? 

But then Will's arching his back in a soft whimper, looking up at him pleadingly, and Dipper pushes his muggy thoughts to the side. It was fine, Stanford had assured it, and Will was here in front of him, needy and beautiful and everything he's ever dreamed of. He leans in, crashing their lips together as he holds Will down. The smell of the omega's arousal nearly makes Dipper lose even the smallest bit of thought process he has left. He sucks Will's lower lip between his teeth and juts their hips together, moaning when Will's erection rubs against his own and the omega keens at the friction. 

Dipper's eyes fall shut for a moment as a shiver runs down his spine at the sound. Will's skin was hot against his - soft and searing. The alpha licks his lips over his throbbing fangs to soothe them temporarily as he slides a hand down Will's torso, watching the omega shudder when his fingers slip past his erection. 

"D-Dipper - ah - " 

Dipper feels slick coat his fingers the closer he moves to stroke the outside of Will's entrance. The substance is slippery, guiding his fingers into the omega's entrance easily. Will gasps and clutches the blankets beside them when two of Dipper's fingers slide into him at once. The alpha can just feel his own erection twitch when Will makes a choked whine, eventually rolling his hips against Dipper's fingers. It's warm and soft inside, but Dipper's nearly fainting with how thick Will's scent has become. 

Dipper slowly slides them out, and then back in again, trying to focus himself as Will moans under him. He starts at an awkward pace, watching Will tense and whimper before slowly adjusting to the stretch. Dipper hopes he's doing this right, but it was better than what his instincts were telling him to do - immediately. 

But the more slick that comes out and the more Will comes undone under him, the harder it is to fight back the commands his brain is screaming at him to do. He doesn't know if he should do more prepping, or if he's even prepping correctly, but he's desperate and hungry for more. 

And when Will looks at him finally, after previously having his eyes clenched shut, he crawls over the omega and removes his soaked fingers. Will pants open-mouthed as he stares up at Dipper, spreading his legs farther as Dipper aligns himself. His pulse is pounding in his ears as he feels each thump of his heart in his chest. He can see Will look up at him, and even through the haze, he can tell Will is still there, still conscious enough to be aware of what's going on. Dipper stares at him for a moment before Will licks his lips and nods once, encouraging him. 

There was no going back. 

Dipper slid in slowly, carefully, shuddering when Will's warmth hugged his entire length. His toes curled as he buried himself to the hilt, watching Will clutch a pillow and lift his hips to take more of Dipper in. The alpha could feel Will's legs curl around his waist tightly as he adjusted, could see the way Will's abs would tense and relax, and the way Will's tongue would lick over his pink lips slowly before disappearing back into his mouth. 

And then Dipper couldn't help the hot coil in his gut as it built and built impatiently with his lack of movement, and he was bucking his hips slightly, aching for movement. Will gasped, letting a high-pitched mewl out when Dipper started a small rhythm of thrusts. Dipper could see the omega's arms flex with every little thrust, could see Will's chest rise with every sharp intake of air before whimpering. Dipper slowly pulled out then, not entirely, but enough to watch Will shiver with its absence, before slowly burying himself to the hilt once again. 

He could feel Will's slick on his thighs. He could feel the little muscles tensing in Will's calves around his back. He could even feel the muscles squeeze his length before relaxing, before tensing right back again. It drove him mad as he rolled his hips again. 

He wanted to ask if Will was ready, or okay, or anything, but all that came out was a low growl. Will responded in turn with a soft, feral sound, and something clicked. Dipper shifted forward and slammed into Will, watching the other arch his back and scream. And suddenly hands are clawing at his chest as he continues pounding into Will - he doesn't even know how he knew what Will was asking for - but the slapping of skin on skin and Will's moans fill his ears and he suddenly feels oversensitive to everything. 

He sees the way Will's skin goes into goosebumps despite its pink flush, can see the way Will's eyes are completely dilated whenever they do meet Dipper's gaze, and the way Will can't even seem to think properly enough to form words. But something in Dipper wants more, so he's wrapping his hand around Will's hardened length and he nearly releases when Will writhes under him. The soft flesh in his hand twitches before he starts stroking it, watching Will tear up. 

"D-D- ah - " Will starts to tremble under him.

And for a blissful moment, Dipper takes the sight in. Will's hair is messy and he's flushed, clawing at the only arm propped by him as he whimpers and growls softly, switching between them frequently. And then he feels that coiled heat reach its peak as Will tightens around him. He watches white cum coat the omega's chest and Will's completely tense as Dipper slams into him until he's seeing white. 

And then he's completely still, overwhelmed and heart swelling in his chest as he gasps for air before his brain switches gears and he's opening his eyes to look down at Will's neck. 

The omega's chest is heaving with every breath as Dipper leans in, still buried deep in his lover, before sinking fangs into Will's neck. The omega trembles under him, palms flat on Dipper's chest in a weak attempt to push him off. He can hear Will crying when he sinks his fangs further, feeling sweet blood fill his mouth the deeper he goes. But when his brain finally registers, he pulls away and laps at the wound tenderly, feeling Will relax with the loss. 

And then...he feels it. 

Something - something's wrong.

His gut clenches and something sparks against his blood. His magic claws through his blood then, charged and painful. He stiffens in pain as he slowly pulls away. 

And he hears - he hears a muffled voice and feels something claw at his skin as he pulls away. Will is wincing before him, curling up and burying his head in pillows as he grits his teeth. Dipper cries out when his muscles continue to contract painfully and his magic - his magic fluctuates beyond anything he's ever seen. He's clawing at the bed to stop it - to stop his own power from overwhelming him, but he can't, and he's forced to claw at his head and neck as he shakes violently. 

Will's gasping for air in front of him, gripping the pillow desperately over his head as he muffles pained sobs. 

And Dipper, through his own searing pain, fears that he's made a terrible mistake. 

Dipper hears the door break open before he loses consciousness. He can't feel anything and he's very sure this isn't what a normal mating bond is supposed to be like. He can feel Will - he thinks. The only sure thing he knows is, somehow, he's awake to know he's somewhere, but he's not actually dreaming. 

And then he's somewhere in the woods. He recognizes this part of the forest. It's nothing particularly special, but it's a part that he walks through frequently. He blinks, realizing he's dressed. Had that all been...a dream? Was this a dream? 

He flexed his fingers and realize he's leaning against a tree. There are notebooks around him and it looks late in the day - like he's fallen asleep here. Something doesn't seem right, however, as he glances around. There's no wind. There's no animals. 

There's no sound. 

He stands slowly, looking around cautiously. He hasn't had this happen in a very long time. 

Not since...

"Bill?" Dipper calls out hesitantly.

There's nothing. No answer, no movement, no sound. He's alone. 

But then he feels wind, the first actual shift in air, and something moves before him. He watches the ground crack and force something out of its confines. Dipper watches in a mixture of horror and curiosity as...something emerges from the dirt and roots of the forest floor. 

Dipper narrows his eyes slightly as he hesitantly walks forward.

A...journal? 

And then he hears more movement behind him. He whips around to the sound, suddenly met with a large, horned, shadowed beast with glowing eyes. It exhaled heavily, panting harshly at him. It's a wretched creature, forcing his lungs to stop and his blood to run cold. Dipper's scream catches in his throat before he's suddenly gasping, jerking awake as he gags and coughs. He clutches his chest as he looks around the room in a horrified panic. He's only slightly relieved to see he's in Stanford's lab, though he has no idea how he'd gotten there. 

When he meets Stanford's weary look, he can't help the dread of that look mixed with whatever he'd just seen. 

That was no ordinary creature. 

"S-Stanford, it's here." 

Stanford's jaw clenched. 

"I'm afraid we have another issue as well, my boy."

Dipper followed Stanford's gesture to the other lying figure in the room. Will's covered to several wires, all connected to machines and computers that were flickering with data. There's gauze covering the bite wound and a blanket covering his lower half, but Dipper's heart sinks at the sight of him. He's pale, looking more cold and dead than the passionate lover he'd had earlier. 

"I...I believe we've finally found..." Stanford licked his lips in a horrified grimace as he stares at the sleeping omega. Dipper turns to Stanford, chest heavy as the man takes in a shaky breath. 

"Experiment 19876."


	22. The Creature With The Golden Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "B-But - but I still d-don't understand!" Will scrambles to his feet as the man smoothed his sleeve out.
> 
> "Don't fret. I'll be here for you still. We have big plans together, after all." 
> 
> And with that, it goes dark. 

Mabel pulled Dipper off the bed as Stanford grabbed Will. The screaming and sobbing filled her ears as she looked at Stanford with terror. Stanley looked just as perturbed as he ran in after them, steadying himself after breaking the door down. 

"We need to get them into the lab." Stanford looks just as worried as she feels, holding Will to his chest as they rush out. 

Stanley's next to her, lifting Dipper into his own arms as they all rush out. She's close behind, practically running as they rush out. Dipper goes silent suddenly, limp, and Stanley's shouting. Stanford nods as they make their way into the lab downstairs, placing both boys onto the lab tables. 

"Stanley, get the monitors!" Stanford shouts as he starts tapping on his computers. 

Mabel looks down at her brother. He's motionless - barely breathing. She looks at Will, whose neck and chest are covered in smeared blood. He looks just as pale and motionless. Fear and heavy guilt weigh in her stomach as Stanley yanks wires undone and sticks them to the boy's chests. 

She watches the elder man look between the wires to the monitors he's hooked them up to. They beep, showing irregular looking heart rates and the erratic fluctuations on one of the monitors. Dipper's magic flow was off the charts on a different monitor, in the red of the monitor. She looked at Will's, watching the same happen to his own charts. Their heart rates were beeping erratically fast, filling the room with eerie mechanical noises that only added to their fears. 

"Stanford, what the hell is happening right now?" She heard Stanley growl from beside her. 

"I don't know!" Stanford shouted back, shaking his head as he looks between his computer to the monitors. "I've never seen anything like this before!" 

"You said if they mated then they'd be fine!" Stan stormed over to Stanford, snarling. "This - this is far from fucking fine, Ford!"

"It should have been fine!" Stanford snarled back, turning back to his computer monitor. "Dipper's magic wouldn't do this on its own! There's - we're missing something here!" 

"No shit!" Stan pointed back at the monitors as they beat even faster. "We're about to have two boys going into cardiac arrest for absolutely no reason!" 

"I'm figuring it out!" Stanford growled back.

Mabel turned back to Dipper and Will, watching Will begin to tremble. She walked forward, resting a hand on the omega's as Will began to whimper. He gripped her hand hard then, suddenly, and she felt a spark in her own blood. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tensed. Will barely opened his eyes as he turned to her weakly. She gasped and looked up.

"Guys!" She tried to shout over their own argument, but was unsuccessful. She looked down when Will squeezed her hand. 

"It's here." 

"What - What's here, Will?"

"Him." Will went under again, going limp around her hand. She stared in horror before she turned to look at the elder brothers arguing further. 

"Think! What the hell could cause this?"

"I-I don't know! Dipper's magic wouldn't do something like this with another mate - the only way this could, maybe, happen would be if Will had magic of his own!"

"The kid is from the city, Ford! There's no way in hell!" Stan snarled.

"Then I don't know!"

"You're supposed to know everything! You passed Dipper to mate!"

"This also shouldn't have happened!"

Stanford rushed out of his chair to look at the monitors, eyes scanning the wavelengths of magic in both the boys' systems. They were almost equivalent, but there was an erratic rhythm. Will shouldn't even have magic - he was a normal omega. Then...then why was it as if Dipper's magic was responding to...another source of magic? 

"It makes no sense!" Stanford hissed. "We need to get a blood test done! Now!" 

Stanley quickly made his way to one of the cabinets, wrenching it open. Mabel looked at her brother, whose fingers were trembling. He breathed harshly, as if he were running. Stanford turned to look at him, lips pursing as he looked back at the monitors. He looked between Will's and Dipper's. There was a pattern here. He could see it. 

It was normal for bonds to sync heart rates, but the problem was coming with - with the magic wavelengths. They weren't being able to sync. He turned to Will then. There was more to this boy than they had originally thought. There had to be. 

Stanley slammed the equipment down, forcing Ford's attention away from the boy's to look at him. He nodded, grabbing some of the equipment to unwrap it as they readied themselves. 

"You draw Dipper's and I'll draw Will's. We need to work quickly." Stanford was thankful he'd taught Stan how to do IVs all those years ago, for his own safety. Now, of course, it was coming in very good use. 

He set up the needle, drawing the blood easily. His heart sank when the color of the blood was...glowing. He looked at Will's drying blood on his neck and and shoulder. It was a dull, rusty color, as he expected it should be. But...then why was this...?

"Got it!" Stanley held up the small container of Dipper's blood and, horrified, Stanford could see the same soft glow in the sample from where he stood. 

He forced a breath in.

He thought it would be impossible. 

\--

Will curled his fingers at first, but he had no idea why they wouldn't move. This was a dream, wasn't it?

All he knew was that he was sitting at home - his actual home. His parents weren't around, but he was in his room. He really missed this place. For a brief moment, he really believed it had all been a nightmare. Meeting an alpha, moving away, being marked - it was all a fantasy. This was his real home. This was the place he'd grow up, get a career, make a few mistakes in love, and just be happy. 

So, he remained where he was on his floor, staring up at his ceiling. Today was the day he'd come home from school and decided that he would just do his homework later. Today, he wanted to just lay on his floor and relax. He could hear the whoosh of cars outside his window, of people talking and walking past the house. He could feel the sun shine through his window, over his body, and it felt nice. 

It felt nice being home. 

But then he feels a shift in the air, and he looks up to see someone standing above him. He doesn't know them, but they stare down at him with a smile.

"And you must be William." 

"I a-am." Will narrows his eyes slightly at the man as he sits up. "W-What're you doing in my room?"

The man just smiles at him in response. He looks awfully dapper, with a nice suit and cane. He's even sporting a top hat, and Will thinks maybe he's imagining him. A single golden eye looks at him, with the other eye covered in an odd-looking eyepatch, and he looks interested, and maybe even a little amused, at Will.

"You miss your home, don't you?" The man said softly, glancing around the room curiously. "Back before you had to move and change everything." 

Will watched the man sigh.

"William, I'm here to warn you."

"A-About what?" 

"It's almost time. And you won't understand when it happens, but you are the key."

"I d-don't...understand."

"Something big is coming." The man smiled at him warmly. "And you're going to be the one to make it happen."

Will looked at him in confusion. 

"I-I don't...understand." 

"You don't have to - not right now, anyway." The man rested against his cane, his smile soft as he looked around the room once more. "This place really is quite quaint. I can see why you miss it so much." 

Will watched the man walk to one side of the room to look at the picture frames on his desk. He watches him lift one in particular - the picture of Dipper that he'd received all that time ago. The fond look the man gives the picture makes Will uncomfortable. He doesn't know why, but he can feel a heartache in his chest that he can't explain. The man takes a deep breath and puts the frame back on the desk. 

"Who are you?" Will watches the man turn back to him and think something over. 

"I am many things. Who I am - well, that's something I can't quite tell you yet. But I can say that we are connected by blood." The man tapped the handle of his cane for a moment. "You could even say I was the one that saved your life." 

"S-Saved my life?" 

He looked like he was about to elaborate before he stops. He pulls his sleeve up and looks down at his wrist, where a nice watch stared back at him. He smiles before turning back to Will.

"My apologies, it seems that it's my time to go." 

"B-But - but I still d-don't understand!" Will scrambles to his feet as the man smoothed his sleeve out.

"Don't fret. I'll be here for you still. We have big plans together, after all." 

And with that, it goes dark. 

\--

"Experiment...I thought you had said that experiment had died." Dipper's voice was shaky as he slowly pulled the monitor wires off himself. 

"I...I hadn't said the whole truth. For a reason." Stanford rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "It was true, that the experiment had technically died at one point. The patient had died. The patient was...like you. They were destined to die young." 

Dipper looked at Will.

"But what we had tried with you…it hadn't worked with him." The elder sighed. "We were becoming desperate. McGucket had been the one on this case and we'd tried every feasible way we could to keep the patient alive." 

He remembers the small child gasping for breaths on the table as a younger man stood over him in fear. Stanford could remember the shouting from a bloody McGucket to do something, anything, to save this child. 

"Something had gone horribly wrong one night in the lab and we had to do a blood transfusion." Stanford felt bile build up in his gut. "I had recently...been out in the field and gathered blood from a creature that had very strange healing properties. We didn't understand it fully, but none of our other treatments were working. I had only studied this creature for a short amount of time before the incident had happened so I knew enough about it to know it could be dangerous." 

Dipper felt nauseous.

"All of our other experiments had passed and McGucket...he was so close to this patient despite how much we told him he couldn't be. We were desperate and we ran the tests to see if the blood would be compatible." 

Stanford shook his head.

"Somehow, the blood was a perfect match. It seemed that the blood of the creature had morphed to match the patient's and had even showed promising results. We did the transfusion immediately." 

"It was a success?"

"We had thought it was at first but...then the patient started exhibiting strange signs. They had magic wavelengths that were impossible to match and the patient was doing things that not even you could do when you were first overwhelmed with your magic abilities. His vital signs were through the roof and he had strength that we couldn’t understand – couldn’t comprehend. He should have died from what his vitals were telling us but – he was okay." 

Dipper stared at the pale body of Will, watching a chest rise and fall slowly. 

"And then one day, the lab combusted." Stanford rubbed his eyes. "The experiment had escaped - or died. We didn't know which, just that the damage was colossal. McGucket was sure that the patient had escaped, but there was no way. Not when you saw what was left of the lab where he'd been contained." 

"Why do you think...Will is that same experiment then?"

"We did a blood draw while you were down." Stanford licked his lips. "Will shows the exact same genetic makeup of the creature I spoke of. He doesn't even have the same traces of - of human genetics anymore." 

That sent a chill down Dipper's spine. 

"And when we checked your blood..." Stanford's voice was shaky then, "Your genetic makeup is changing as well." 

Dipper ran a hand over his face. 

"Your magic - it's responding to the bond. Even though Will isn't...isn't entirely human anymore, somehow, the bond between you took anyway. His body reacted in the same way that an omega would when mated and you two connected - both physically and it would seem magically." 

"Magically..."

"Magically. It's why you both had such trouble after you made the mark. Your magic wavelengths had to get on the same rhythm - the same pattern. You both were going into shock before it finally synced and, then...your vitals stabilized. It’s – it’s incredible actually. I’ve never seen anything like it." 

"And how...how did Will end up here then? I thought - his file hadn't even said he was adopted or anything."

"I don't know. I don't know how Will ended up from the lab to having a home in a city as far away as he was. I also don't know how he's managed to suppress his magic all this time. We...when we'd brought him back to life in the lab - his abilities were remarkable. It was - it was quite terrifying." Stanford watched Dipper clench his jaw. "He hasn't said anything at all? About any of this?"

"No, I've only shown him my own abilities. He’s never expressed any sort of…of even understanding of magic in general." Dipper ran a hand over his mouth. "I can’t believe it - all this time."

"It might be connected to why we suddenly had so many strange occurrences in the area recently. But...you also said it's back."

Dipper nodded with a grimace. “It was in my dreams, Stanford.”

"That must have been the summoning circle we saw before, then." The elder ran a hand through his messy hair.

"It's the only...only way it could have come back."

Stanford glanced at Will's figure. His vital signs were back to normal – to even a normal human’s vitals. It was incredible. 

"Do you think...?" 

Dipper shook his head.

"No, Will has nothing to do with this." Dipper was silent a moment before slouching. "At least...not consciously." 

"The problem is that the summoning circle that you had seen - it wasn't a normal summoning circle. There was something horribly wrong with it."

"What do you mean?"

"I hadn’t had a moment to talk to you before about this but…the symbols around the circle. They weren't like what we'd seen before. That's why neither of us had recognized it when we had gone to investigate it." 

"Then what...did it summon, if not that creature?" 

Stanford sighed.

"I need to get back into the forest and have a look around. Hopefully even find some answers from the local beasts. The multi-headed bear never mentioned anything the last time you saw him?"

"No, Will was with me at the time." The alpha thought carefully. "But he had spoken to Will personally." 

"Do you know what he had said?"

"I don't." 

“We need to talk to the multibear to see if he knows anything further. And then, we need to talk to Will. I have a feeling he knows more than he’s been letting on.”

“What makes you say that?” Dipper felt defensive suddenly. Will was innocent in all of this – he doubted the omega actually knew what he’d gotten into. 

“He’s been avoiding me the entire time I’ve been here.” 

“He’s also a shy kid.” Dipper could see Stanford mule something over in silence before turning to him.

“When he wakes up, you need to get the whole truth from him.” 

The elder looked up when the sound of footsteps started roaming around.

“In the meantime, go speak with Stanley and Mabel. They were worried sick about you. In fact, Mabel was the reason we were able to come get you two in time.”

Dipper nodded, glancing at Will once more. His eyes settled on the gauze dressing on the omega’s neck as guilt weighed heavily in his stomach.

Oh, Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Went ahead and posted the next update just because it's been a long wait for everyone and I know the recent cliffhanger was pretty wild! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and tell me what your thoughts are! I love hearing your theories and feelings about what's going on! Thank you all for sticking with me!


	23. In The Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hand squeezes his shoulder and he looks at Stanley with a grimace. The elder man just offers a sympathetic smile - one that he rarely received from the rougher elder. 
> 
> "Don't worry, kid. He'll be fine."

When Will wakes up, he feels cold. Everything feels sluggish and heavy, making any movements difficult and slow. He feels like a proper wreck with every muscle aching horribly. The sound of various beeping noises from machines slowly fill his ears as he comes to, glancing around the room slowly before he slowly sits up. 

He's in a lab of some sort - which is strange. The last thing he remembers is...

He tries to quickly lift a hand to his neck and winces when both his arm and his neck protest. Even through the thick bandage it stings. Which brings to his attention - where is Dipper? He looks around, seeing another table next to him. It's bare, looking as cold as he's feeling. When he looks at himself, he has two blankets over his legs and sticky pads all over his chest. He begins pulling them off before he hears a door open above him. The stairs in the room creak, making his heart lurch until he sees a familiar set of shoes make their way down. 

Dipper's fully dressed when they make eye contact and the immense relief he sees behind soft eyes is overwhelming. Dipper practically throws the tray of food onto a desk before running forward and tackling Will into a hug. He's so warm that it makes Will stop shivering - he hadn't even realized he had been before Dipper's arms tighten around him. He feels safe and something throbs in his heart when he feels the alpha rumble. 

"You're finally awake - I was getting so worried." 

Will wraps his own arms around the alpha, holding him close. It feels so right, strangely. He can't put words to the feeling, but he never wants to leave this place in Dipper's arms. But there's something else, something that's making his blood feel...different. His eyesight feels sharper for some reason. He can smell Dipper better now - clearer. The warmth in Dipper's body against his - it's palpable. He can't understand why, but he figures it's just from the mating. 

He had no idea it made someone more aware of their senses. 

Dipper finally pulls back enough to lean their foreheads together. Will's face is cupped in warm hands as Dipper stays close. 

"I love you and - and I'm so sorry." Dipper's voice sounded thick. "I had no idea this would happen. I'm so, so very sorry, darling." 

Will has no idea what Dipper is talking about. He knows that the pain was overwhelming from the bite, but that was normal...wasn't it? He thought it was. All he remembers is Dipper biting him and everything going dark. The pain, however, lingered dully. It was a bone-deep pain at the time, down to the very cells of his blood, but now it was just an aching sensation. He did wonder if...if Dipper had something to do with that.

If his magic had something to do with that. 

He doesn't realize he's been quiet so long until Dipper pulls back with a worried look. 

"...darling?"

"What...what happened?"

"We had some issues with the mating process." Dipper looks deeply uncomfortable then, leaving Will a little confused. "There were some complications that we - I hadn't accounted for." 

"C-Complications?" Will's head starts to ache. The blaring lights of the lab and the beeping of the machines make him dizzy. 

"Will, do you...er-" Dipper cuts himself off with this weird noise and Will turns to look at him. Why was he acting so strange? Weren't they mated now? Was he okay? 

"D-Do I what?" His headache makes his vision swim a little and he feels suddenly very tired. There's this strange surge of an icy cold chill in his blood as he tries to focus on Dipper, but his ears are ringing and he's so tired. His eyelids droop as he holds onto the alpha, watching the boy look at him with worry-filled eyes. 

He can hear Dipper ask a question, but it doesn't click. All he can think about is the cold surging through his veins and the aching in his head and - and how exhausted he feels. He just wants to go back to bed. He doesn't know why this is suddenly hitting him, but he covers his eyes to hide from the blaring of the lights. 

"...ill?" 

Will groans. He feels hands touching him, but he genuinely can't tell if they're warm or cold. He knows they're Dipper's, but...but are they really? He tries to remove his hands to look at - at whoever they belong to, but he can't. All he knows is that his vision is slipping and his muscles stop working. 

And then his body is floating once more in a dream state. 

When he regains sight again, he's in a forest. Actually, it was Dipper's forest. He knows because it was part of the forest that Dipper had taken him to before when they had started taking their regular walks together. He brushes his fingers over the barks of trees he passes as he follows some unknown pull. He doesn't know why he's following it, he just does. 

He stops when he sees a small boy run past him. It startles him and he jolts back, but the boy doesn't see him. He doesn't even have to sniff hard to know it's a young alpha by the threatening heaviness of hormones - a pre-pubescent alpha. And, from the hint of his alpha in the scent that he can practically taste, it's Dipper. He doesn't recall ever seeing pictures of the alpha being young, but something tells him this isn't his memory. Is it Dipper's, maybe? 

All he knows is the boy trips over something and falls face first into the dirt. Will's instincts kick in and he quickly runs forward to help the small alpha up. Soft eyes look at him curiously and it strikes Will that the boy is covered in bruises. It's definitely Dipper, with his soft brown hair and sense of style, but it's also clear the boy doesn't trust him when Dipper stiffens around him. He remembers that Dipper had always been skittish around new people since - since his darker past, and of course Dipper would be nervous around him now, even if this was a dream or memory. He figures this is around the time things went south with his parents, maybe even after. 

"A-Are you...okay?" Will watches the alpha sniffle and nod. Dipper avoids eye contact with him, looking at the ground or away from them as Will realizes he's holding onto the boy's arm. He lets go, watching Dipper slowly fold his arm against his chest. 

"Come on, kid. We're not even close." 

Will snaps his head toward the voice, but there's no one around. He knows that voice. That was the voice that had been speaking to him all this time. The one that had told him to run into the boulder. The one that spoke of the patch. The voice of the man from his recent dream. How had he not recognized it sooner? But - what did that have to do with the younger Dipper in front of him?

Dipper gets to his feet and gives him a silent nod before running off. Will follows quickly, watching the alpha nervously glance back at him every few steps.

"You're walkin' too slow, kid! Hurry up! Time's a tickin'!" Will looks around, but he doesn't see the owner of the voice anywhere. It's ethereal and soft, yet somehow teasing. 

And then Dipper suddenly bolts. Will gasps and runs after him. He can hear that voice shout commands at Dipper as they make their way through the forest, but it pays no attention to him. It focuses on teasing and goading Dipper, emphasizing certain steps the boy makes or the way he isn't moving fast enough (which was, in Will's opinion, completely incorrect because even he was having trouble keeping up with the young alpha). He almost hits a tree as Dipper dodges it at the last minute. 

And then Dipper's stopped in front of him before a cave. His small shoulders are stiff and his hands are curled into fists as he stares into the mouth of darkness. Heavy breaths fill the air between them as Dipper remains stiff and almost motionless. Will carefully approaches behind before the alpha turns and looks at him through tired eyes. 

"Go on, kid." 

Dipper stares at Will through watery eyes and when Will blinks, it's his alpha, the older boy he's grown to care for. His Dipper looks so tired, eyes dark with exhaustion as he stares back at Will. The omega takes a hesitant step forward before he sees something float next to Dipper. It looks like a shadow, but something about it makes his body cold. 

He feels like he's being watched as he looks back at Dipper. The alpha turns away from him slowly - almost like it's in slow motion, and enters the cave through soft steps. Will tries to follow, or to even shout Dipper's name, but nothing comes out before the shadow floats before him.

A single eye glints back at him.

"He won't be able to hear you anymore." 

\--

"How long has he been down?" Stanley looks over Will's body with a stern frown. 

"Only a few minutes. He was awake and talking before he started fading out." Dipper squeezed Will's hand. "I don't know what happened."

"He's probably just tired." Stanley's voice has an edge to it that makes Dipper nervous. "Just let him sleep." 

Dipper didn't want to. He wanted his mate - still weird to say, really - to be awake. He wanted to make sure Will was really okay. The pressing guilt in his gut was especially hard as he stares at the omega. He wondered if Will would have been fine if they hadn't mated - or if he'd mated with anyone else. He hates that it's the combination of both their abilities that caused them both to - well, nearly die. 

He regrets mating the sweet omega in front of him now. 

He hates everything his family has done to this boy. From experiments to magic to forced marriage, the Gleeful family had been nothing but unfortunately cruel to Will. Everything had been an unfortunate series of events for the sweet omega. 

A hand squeezes his shoulder and he looks at Stanley with a grimace. The elder man just offers a sympathetic smile - one that he rarely received from the rougher elder. 

"Don't worry, kid. He'll be fine."

The words didn't comfort Dipper significantly, but it was enough for him to sigh and nod. There was nothing he could do right now except wait for Will to recover. He could see the boy shiver slightly, even under the blanket he'd added. 

"Why don't you go grab him some clothes from upstairs? We can put them over the wires for now." Stanley could see the hesitance in the young alpha's eyes and he patted Dipper's shoulder. "I'll keep watch while you're gone."

Dipper agrees reluctantly. It is cold in Stanford's lab and...Stan would watch over him. He would be gone for a minute, tops. He makes his way up the stairs with a final glance at the sleeping omega before he bolts up the stairs to Will's room. He would grab his own clothes for the omega, but Will might want familiarity when he woke up again. It was bad enough he was already overwhelmed with...well, literally everything else. 

Dipper weaves through hallways easily before pushing open Will's door. The room still smells vaguely of their activities and it makes him flush as he glances around the room. Will's laptop rests on his desk and there's a few things scattered around. He can see some plates stacked up in the corner and he thinks briefly about bringing them to Wendy and Soos, and giving them an update on Will's condition. As far as they know, Will came down with the flu and he planned to keep it that way. They had made soup for the omega for whenever he woke up, allowing him to focus on just getting Will better. 

He walks up to Will's dresser, pulling it open to grab an oversized hoodie and sweatpants that Will had brought from home. Dipper had never personally seen Will wear them, but they did look adorable. He rubbed his thumb over the fabric before sighing. This was all so...out of hand. He'd wished, genuinely, that he'd be able to make Will happy. That, despite his own issues, he could give Will everything he wanted. Marriage, pups, vacations - anything he desired.

Instead, Dipper had just brought him into a world of magic and danger. They hadn't had a proper date since the waterfall night and even then, the night had ended in panic. The magic show was even worse, and now they were here. They hadn't even had a proper date before he'd gone and mated Will. He was...truthfully, a terrible alpha. 

Dipper slouched as he closed the cabinet. He wished he could turn back the time and looked for the signs properly. Will was unconscious, Mabel was worried sick, Stanford was out to get McGucket, and Stanley looked impossibly stressed and he? Well, he was sitting in his mate's room, regretting mating the only boy he'd ever let himself fall in love with. 

He hadn't felt this tired and lonely in a very, very long time. 

\--

When Will woke again, he was exhausted, but his body ached a little less. He blinked his eyes open as he forced himself to sit up. He could see he was still in the laboratory, but he was clothed this time. He rubbed his eyes, groaning as he slowly moved his legs over the side of the table. He felt less cold, but his neck hurt and he was shivering. This time, however, his mate didn't greet him. He blinked and frowned when he realized he was alone. 

Slowly pushing himself to his feet on the floor, he gripped the side of the table and forced himself to stretch his legs slightly. They threatens to give out before he stopped, forcing all his strength into his arms to keep himself upright. He could feel the bandages on his neck with every slow movement when he turned to look around. 

He glanced at the stairs and frowned. That would take a while. He limped his way to the stairs, more than willing to take the effort to leave the coldness of this lab. He gripped the railing of the stairs before he heard the door open. He looked up in time to see his mate stare down at him.

"Will, what are you doing?"

The omega tried opening his mouth to respond before he realized how dry his tongue was. He swallowed, grimacing at the difficulty of the motion. Dipper skipped stairs as he made his way down to Will, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to stabilize him.

"Do you want me to take you upstairs?"

Will nodded. Talking seemed too difficult now, but he was grateful as the alpha slowly tugged him up, keeping most of the weight against him and not his own weakened feet. Dipper remained silent from that point on, even when they reached the top of the stairs. Will looked at him curiously, very aware of the stiffness in Dipper's shoulders as he carefully helped Will into a seat in the kitchen. Ah, so that must have been Stanford's lab, then. 

"Do you want something to drink?"

Will nodded as Dipper turned and left him at the chair, tugging a cabinet open to grab a mug. He looked around, curious as to where everyone was. What had happened exactly? Why was Dipper so cold suddenly? Why did his body ache so much? What did his dreams mean? Nothing made sense and he could only wonder if Dipper's magic had something to do with the mating process. 

Something made his heart stop as his hand immediately flew to his neck. The mark had taken, hadn't it? He had the sudden urge to rip the bandage off to see, but something told him not to - at least not yet. He watched Dipper tug open the fridge before he realized he'd never been to this kitchen before. It wasn't like the staff kitchen, more a smaller break room in a way. He watched the alpha pour him a glass of juice before closing the fridge and walking over to him. 

Will thanked him quietly, watching Dipper stand and stare at him for a moment before pursuing his lips and seating himself beside Will. Will downed the juice, gulping it greedily as it cooled his dried throat. When he reached the bottom of the mug, he felt significantly better physically, but the weight of tension between them rested unsettlingly. The alpha wouldn't look at him now, staring at the table and tapping it slightly as he sighed. Will wanted to ask what had happened while he was down, but a deeper fear clutched his stomach. 

"Is...is everything okay?" Will asked with the smallest voice he could muster. Doubts and fears began to cloud his thoughts as he looked for any evidence of his alpha's thoughts. 

Dipper narrowed his eyes slightly, but it wasn't accusingly. 

"Why?"

"I just...y-you seem..." Will slowly reached a trembling hand out between them on the table. 

Dipper looked at it before frowning and reaching out, resting his own hand in Will's. 

"I'm sorry, I'm just - I was so worried." 

Will felt Dipper squeeze his hand and a warmth in his chest made his shoulders slump. He could see Dipper smile softly at him before his hand was engulfed in both of the alpha's hands.

"I...I'm so sorry. If I knew mating would do this I wouldn't have-"

"I would have." Will cut him off, leaving Dipper's eyebrows to rise. Will offered a sympathetic smile in response. "I don't regret it." 

"Will, there's...there's more to this than you know, darling." Dipper licked his lips. "Things that...you might come to hate me for." 

It was Will's turn to give Dipper a weary look, watching the alpha rub circles into his knuckles as he held the omega's hand firmly. 

"Will, what do you know about your childhood?"


	24. The Monster Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they found out the truth, they always left him behind. 
> 
> He'd always be alone.

Dipper stood in the forest - it's what he often did in times of stress when his heart ached this bad. His little chest could barely handle the heartbreak that forced his legs forward. He knew he was a monster, but to hear it from Momma - well that was something else entirely. He used the back of his hands, his small knuckles, to press against his watery eyes as he sniffled. He wished he'd stop crying - monsters don't cry. Monsters don't feel anything. 

But he wasn't really a monster...was he? 

He felt his eyes scrunch as he cried, trying to force the tears from his eyes. He wanted to stop crying so much that it made him cry harder. His mother's words echoed in his ears along with the angered shouting from Grunkle Stanford and Grunkle Stanley against her. He doesn't know why she hated him so much - it's not like he meant to set fire to her pretty dress. He just - he was scared and Daddy was yelling, and suddenly things got out of hand, and there was smoke, and now he was in the forest alone, crying and feeling so horribly disgusted with himself as he fell to the ground. 

He tugged at his hair as he tried to make his heart stop aching. He wasn't a monster - he wasn't, he wasn't, he wasn't! 

He just sees the horrified snarl of his father's face and the shriek of terror from his mother behind clenched eyes. He whimpers as he tugs his hair harder, trying to make it all stop. 

"You're gonna really hurt yourself doin' that, you know." 

Dipper immediately whipped his head up, disturbed to see no one near him. He looked around the clearing, eyes wide as he sniffled. He was alone, but that voice? He wiped his eyes and forced himself to stand as he continued to turn in circles, sniffing the air for a scent. The smell of fresh pine was the only thing he could get a scent of. 

"Come now, you can see me, can't you?"

"N-No." Dipper offered in a soft voice. 

"Use your magic, kid."

"Momma said I'm not allowed to." Dipper's hands tugged at the hem of his shirt as he continued to look around the empty trail. 

"And your mom isn't very smart, if you haven't yet noticed." The voice huffed. "Telling a kid like you to be ashamed of your abilities - it's funny how dumb you fleshbags can be, really." 

Dipper blinked, wide eyes continuing to look around. He heard the voice groan in annoyance before the world stopped. He made a noise of surprise when the colors of the world drained before a triangular creature appeared before him. Dipper squeaked as he fell back, watching the creature look down at him in amusement. Its only eye was bent upwards and Dipper wondered if it was mocking him. This wasn't the first time he'd seen strange monsters in the forest - Grunkle Stanford always told him the woods were full of magic, just like him. 

Just...just like him. 

"The name's Bill Cipher." A small, inky hand stretched out toward him, leaving the young alpha to look at it curiously. "Well? Come on, kid, shake it."

Dipper wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve before extending his hand out and gripping the small hand. Bill looked slightly disgusted as he slowly removed his hand from the human's. Dipper looked at him curiously, heartache forgotten momentarily as Bill grimaced at his own hand. 

"Geez, kid, that's disgusting!"

Dipper giggled at Bill's expression, watching the horrified look directed at him with a wide smile. Bill sighed and waved his hand before propping it against his side. 

"You really are just a pup, aren't you?" Bill rose his only eyebrow as if looking Dipper up and down in defeated acceptance. "How old even are you?" 

"Eight." Dipper tilted his head slightly as he watched Bill float in front of him. He liked the way the triangle's legs were bent. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" 

"That." Dipper pointed at Bill again, watching the creature look at him questioningly. Dipper had a feeling Bill was just doing so to tease him, but it finally relented.

"I'll teach you. Eventually." Bill rolled his eye. "Probably."

Dipper opened his mouth with a bright grin before his face fell. Bill's face softened as the alpha pup turned his face to the ground in shame. Dipper heard the creature sigh before those small black feet inched into his vision. He looked up in time to feel a small black hand ruffle his hair. 

"Kid, I'm going to teach you a lot." Dipper liked his hair being ruffled - his Momma used to do that to him. "But above everything I'll teach you, you need to understand that you can't trust anyone." 

Dipper looked up at the creature curiously. That seemed like strange advice, especially since he'd only just met Bill. 

"Not even me." Bill mumbled before dropping his hand. "Got it?"

Dipper didn't understand the kindness the creature was giving to him, but he nodded. If he were truthful, Bill the first true friend he'd ever made - well, besides his sister. He liked to believe Mabel was his best friend, but the opportunity to have two best friends? That was even better! 

He smiled when Bill huffed at him again.

\--

Will doesn't remember a lot of his childhood. He remembers sitting in the community playground a lot, swinging on rusty swings and looking at the sky. He remembers worn sneakers and a strange sense of adventure that drummed through his veins whenever he climbed to the top of the play set. He remembers hanging upside down from the monkey bars as other kids played in the sandbox. 

He remembers dreaming of being a dragon.

And he remembers one incident, when he was younger, that he wasn't allowed to talk about. 

The day something completely unexpected and inexplainable happened. 

He remembers the day he swore he could fly. 

He doesn't know what triggered it or if it really was a strange hitch of over-imagination, but there was a day he could actually float. He remembers sitting in his room, floating upside down. He remembers laughing as his shirt fell over his face, so he pushed it back over his stomach, furthering the fact that he was really flying.

He faked a roar - like a real-life dragon as he heard footsteps approached his door. The creaky door opened to the sight of his mortified mom before she ran forward and scooped him up into her arms. She looked terrified, holding Will to her chest securely. He only giggled, hugging her as he smiled at her brightly. 

"I'm a d-dragon!" Will grinned a toothless smile as he wiggles in his mom's grasp. "I c-can fly! Mommy, I can fly!"

Will never thought much of that day, especially as time passed and he'd chalked it up to a child's imagination. His mother never spoke of it again and here had never been a repeat incident, but now, with the look of his mate's focused eyes and the echo of his words in his ears, he wondered if maybe that day hadn't been just his imagination after all. 

"I'm...I'm s-sorry?" 

"You were an experiment." Dipper repeated softly, holding his hands firmly. "Like me." 

Will wanted to laugh. He wanted to smile and look around for cameras, that maybe this whole thing had been an elaborate prank by his parents. He wanted to believe, for just a moment, that this was all a joke.

But then he remembered the warmth of Dipper's hands around his own and the gentle throb of the mark on his neck and suddenly the room felt a little warmer than before. It was a little more difficult to breathe as he stared at the alpha with a clenched jaw. 

"No." Will said simply, as if it were an obvious answer. "I'm not even - I'm not even from here. I'm from - that d-doesn't make any sense."

Dipper looks at him sympathetically and Will hates it. He wrenches his hands back, glaring at the alpha. 

"Y-You're a liar." 

"Will, darling." Dipper tries to coo softly. "It's - it's okay, it's not your fault."

"O-Of course it's not my fault." Will snaps. "I'm - I'm not an experiment." 

"I know it's a lot to take in." Dipper tries to grab his hands again but Will pulls them back completely. He narrows his eyes at the alpha accusingly. Dipper just continues with a gentle voice. "When we mated...something happened."

"What?" Will's voice was careful as he stared at Dipper. "What happened?"

"Stanford ran some tests when we were down." Dipper offered gently.

"Th-The same crazed man who did this to you?" Will gestured to Dipper, not missing the sudden jolt of hurt in the alpha's eyes. "What w-would he know?" 

"You have magic abilities - like me." Dipper spoke softly. 

"No." Will shook his head. "No I don't." 

"Darling-"

"No, I don't!" Will growled, slamming his hands on the table.

Dipper frowned, looking at Will with a frown. Will hated that look. That was that sympathetic look his parents gave him when they first told him of Dipper. That was that look that made him seem powerless. 

The look all alphas gave omegas. 

Will sneered and jerked out of his chair. His neck ached and he watched Dipper rise to his feet, eyes full of worry. 

"I know it's scary." Dipper's eyes begged him to understand, but Will knew the alpha didn't understand. Dipper didn't understand that he was wrong.

He was a normal omega. He was raised by normal parents, he had a normal life, he was normal! Everything had been normal before he came here! It wasn't until Dipper came I to his life that things went south! 

Everything had been Dipper Gleeful's fault. 

That calm he's felt moments prior was long forgotten as he growled angrily at the alpha. Dipper leaned back in shock, eyes wide as Will bristled at him. Will had never growled at an omega before. He wasn't even sure why he was so angry. Maybe it was because his neck really hurt. Maybe it was because they'd moved too fast. Maybe it was because he was scared. 

But in that moment, he truly hated the alpha. 

His alpha. 

"I'm n-not like you." 

Dipper narrowed his eyes slightly. That shock in the alpha's features melted into anger as he growled softly back at the omega. 

"What's wrong with being like me?" 

"B-Because I'm not - I'm not a - !" 

"Not a what? Not a monster?" Dipper supplied, bristling. That wasn't what Will was going to say, but he wasn't sure what exactly he was getting at. Something struck a cord in Dipper then before the alpha snarled and stormed toward him. It was the first time since they'd met that Will was - terrified? 

"I'm a monster to you, aren't I?" Dipper bared his fangs, forcing Will to freeze in his sudden grasp. The alpha forced him against the kitchen wall, snarling as he glared at Will with fiery eyes. Will swallowed, staring at Dipper. "You're just like everyone else." 

Dipper released him, allowing him to breathe as he watched the alpha step back. 

"I thought you were different." Dipper's voice was thick with something Will couldn't catch. 

Will watched the alpha storm out of the room, leaving him completely confused. His mind raced with Dipper's words. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment. 

He had been an experiment. 

But - but he couldn't have been. 

His parents - they wouldn't - 

He needed to talk to them. He had to talk to them. They could sort this all out. They would tell him the truth. 

He stormed to his room on shaky legs. 

\--

Dipper found himself glaring into the forest. Rage threatened to overwhelm him as he bent over and tugged at his hair. He felt like a child in that instant as he hissed at the ground. This was so stupid! This was - this was his fault. He shouldn't have mated Will. He shouldn't have let his guard down with that stupid omega. 

He had just thought Will was - was so pretty and amazing and different and maybe Will would love him and goddamnit! Dipper forced himself to stand before he stormed deeper into the forest. He kicked a rock into a tree, snarling as it echoed among the empty trail. He could hear movement in the distance - probably some gnomes. He really didn't want to see anyone right now, so he took a sharp turn down a less familiar trail as he clawed at the hem of his pressed clothes. Will was - disgusting. He hated that omega. 

He blamed it all on his parents. They'd set him up with this before their final goodbye to him and Mabel. As if it were a gift of some sort - a parting gift before they'd left their monster of a son behind for good. As if it would repair all of their harsh words and cruel glances. As if their son would be okay by the end of it. He grit his teeth, locking his jaw as his fangs dug into the soft flesh of his lip. He could feel hot tears threaten to spill over his cheeks before he rubbed at his eyes. 

This was so stupid! 

He cursed when he tripped over something, forcing him to fall forward. He fell on his knees, hissing when he landed on gnarled tree roots. Pain shot up his leg as he yelped, falling on his side as he held his legs. He wanted to cry, oh he really wanted to cry and scream and lash out. He knew Mabel would probably come looking for him eventually, but he really wanted to - to do something. He wanted to set fire to something. He wanted to let his flames crackle over his skin - though it would do nothing. 

He laid on the ground as he turned to stare at the sky, watching the stars twinkle above him. His chest heaved as he felt hot tears roll over the sides of his face. He hated that Will hated him. He hated that they couldn't be happy together. He hated that his magic got in the way again. First his parents, now his mate. He'd eventually lose everything because they always left. 

Once they found out the truth, they always left him behind. 

He'd always be alone. 

He shook his head slightly as he rubbed his knees. No, that's not true. He had Mabel, Stanford and Stanley. He had Wendy and Soos. He had people, even if some of them didn't know the truth. He sighed. Exhaustion slowly replaced rage in his system as he slowly sat himself up. He looked for whatever tripped him before he squinted and leaned forward to something sticking out awkwardly from the ground. 

He leaned forward, grabbing the edge of it before tugging it toward him. That's odd. He pulled the object onto his legs, eyebrows furrowed as he brushed leaves off its cover. 

A journal? 

But who would leave a journal out here? Dipper looked around. It was so dark out here, there was no way he could read it. He sighed and forced himself to stand, brushing his legs off with his other hand. He wasn't quite ready to go home yet - the very thought made his stomach churn. He pursed his lips as he turned to look further into the forest. If he went to the multi-bear, he'd have to deal with the creature's knowing questions. It would know he was upset almost immediately. 

He turned to the direction of the town. 

Well, there was one person who wouldn't guess his emotions so easily. 

He guessed it was better than nothing. 

\--

Unbeknownst to him, a shadowed creature watched him silently, unblinking in the distance. It murmurs a quiet, ethereal sound before sliding further into the darkness of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! So, my goal is to make it to 25 chapters before the New Year! One more chapter to go, then I'll be fixing up my writing schedule for next year so we can really get things goin' at a steady pace! 
> 
> Thank you all for keeping up with my crazy writing schedule - I can't thank you all enough for your kind words of encouragement! I know it's been a wild ride so far, but I'm so grateful to all of you! Here's to the next chapter coming soon and for a stable writing schedule in the new year!


	25. No Quiet Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cold eyes met his before Dipper narrowed his eyes and glared at him. Will bit into the inside of his lower lip before he walked forward, feeling each step weigh heavier and heavier. The alpha narrowed his eyes further, clearly bristling as Will stopped in front of him. Dipper glanced around, baring his fangs slightly in annoyance. It had been a long time since Dipper had acted this way toward him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, we finally made it to 25 chapters! Can y'all believe it? I can't!  
> Thank you for all of your support despite my slow updates. Your wonderful comments and encouraging messages on Tumblr motivate me so much! I can't tell you how much it means to me to see you all getting into this story!  
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please continue to tell me what you think! Thank you all so much again!

Mabel Gleeful was a fairly patient woman - at least she liked to think so. She could handle quite a bit, from her brother's untimely tantrums to her parents' absence and abandonment of their own children. While she wasn't perfect, she certainly strived to be supportive of her brother's deepening insecurities. All had been going well, or she had hoped, since Will's arrival into her brother's life. She had thought that, maybe, finally, her brother had a reason to be happy.

Until that reason became a drastic flaw and a sudden tear in her brother's heart. 

And that was how Mabel Gleeful ended up in the middle of the woods at night, eyes narrowed as she stormed down trails in search of her idiotic brother. Don't get her wrong, she loved Dipper, but love could only get one so far when her twin was absolutely useless in doing anything that would prevent a sudden onslaught of chaos between he and his mate. 

Will was in his room and by god, she wanted him to stay there until she could find her brother and get him home so they could both talk this out. Dipper, of course, had to have a mate that was almost as dramatic as he was, and who better to force them together to talk their feelings through than Dipper's twin herself? She rather valued her place in Dipper's life, both as a support system and a disaster relief plan. 

The first thing she would do is smack her brother for clearly causing Will distress when he had only just recently woken from their previous disaster. Of course, she left them for a few moments and they were already running headfirst into another life-altering discussion that led them both growling at each other when she was on her way over to see how they were doing. It was like her brother couldn't stop himself from causing issue after issue with his mate. Sure, Dipper wasn't an ordinary alpha and Will was along the same plane, but shouldn't that mean they'd get along because of this? 

After she slapped some sense into her brother, she'd slap some sense into Will, too. They both needed to realize that there was more to this than the fact that they had godly powers - really, they needed to get over themselves in general, in her opinion. 

She huffed as she stopped and placed her hands on her hips. She looked around the empty trail, lips pursed as she shook her head slightly in annoyance. His scent was weakening in the cold of the night, fading the longer she followed it. That boy really was going to get an earful when she finally found him. She didn't care that they fought, or that Will was magical or that Dipper had magic or, really, any of it. 

She just wanted to see her brother and his mate happy - as happy as they'd been when they'd finally adjusted to each other.

Like the time she caught them sneaking a kiss in the woods. Hadn't that been such a wonderful moment? 

After everything they'd been through as pups, Mabel knew Dipper deserved better. And she'd been hopeful Will would be the key to the happiness her brother so unfortunately avoided. Clearly, her intervention would be needed after all. 

Oh, Dipper would definitely get an earful. 

\--

Will hadn't seen or heard from Dipper for a few hours now. Then again, he hadn't seen Mabel either. Or, really, anyone. It was like the entire manor had been abandoned when Dipper stormed out. The omega sighed and rubbed his neck, wincing at the soreness that reminded him of aching guilt. He needed to find Dipper and...apologize. 

Will was sitting on his bed and frowning at the eerie silence of the late night silence in the manor. He turned to look out the window, surprised to see a lack of superstitious being watching him. There was no shadow, there was no strange feeling, no voices; it was just a quiet, calm night. 

On a night he really wished hadn't been calm and quiet after its wild start. 

His guilt finally pushed him to walk out of his room and he was bothered with the staleness of his alpha's scent in the air. He hadn't returned home yet, had he? That made his stomach churn as he slowly made his way to the front of the manor. There was the stale scent of his mate and the even staler lingering of Mabel's scent that threatened to be missed entirely. 

Neither of them had returned home, yet? 

Will pursed his lips and opened the door. The moonlight was bright, glistening over the tall trees easily. It wasn't overwhelmingly cold like it had been earlier, instead a strangely nice, easy coolness that made Will's heart sink even more in his chest. If he hadn't fought with Dipper, maybe they would be doing something together right now. 

He pushed the thought of Dipper's words last night out of his mind, knowing the very mention of the truth in the alpha's words would send him into another existential crisis of his life. He just wanted to talk to Dipper after everything that had happened - to have a moment where it wasn't about magic or mysterious beings or pasts or anything - he just wanted them to be a typical alpha and an omega couple for just a few moments. 

He needed to find his mate. 

He made his way out of the manor and tried to follow the fading path that Mabel's scent led him down. It was hard to follow, with the mixture of strange scents and unknown beings crossing his path, but he focused and followed as best he could. Dipper's scent had lingered, but following it would be absolutely impossible. Will just knew he'd been here - maybe. 

He brushed his fingers along the bark of trees as he walked by, thinking lightly to himself. What would he even say to Dipper when he found him? That he was sorry?  
\-- 

"B-Because I'm not - I'm not a - !" 

"Not a what? Not a monster?"

\--

Will grimaced. He'd regretted accidentally silently agreeing to the words when he'd finally calmed down. Dipper hadn't meant any harm, but in that moment blind rage forced venomous words and now he was paying the true price for it. 

It wasn't Dipper's fault that fate had played out for them in this way. And, as much as he'd only admit through gritted teeth, it wasn't truly Stanford's either. Good intentions had saved Will's life, apparently. He owed everyone in the Gleeful family an apology. 

The omega sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as he stopped. He'd been walking for a while now with no luck. Either the twins had gone fairly deep in the woods or Will was wrong completely. He wasn't exactly a tracking omega. 

He perked up when he heard a soft sigh. The shift in wind forced a familiar scent to catch him and he quickly followed it to the relieving sight of Mabel leaning against a tree. There was no sight of Dipper anywhere, which made Will wonder if she'd been walking around the woods the past few hours to find the alpha. He walked forward, leaves crunching under his shoes to catch the female alpha's attention. She looked beautiful in the soft moonlight, making Will wonder for just a moment how she'd remained unmated all this time. The thought passed as he smiled meekly at her. 

Mabel turned to look at him before giving him a tired smile. Will wasn't entirely used to hanging around Mabel, so he wasn't entirely sure if she was as nocturnal-based as her brother, but by the look of it, she didn't seem entirely happy to be awake this late. 

"H-Have you seen D-Dipper?" 

Mabel stood up straight then, stretching her arms out. She shook her head slightly before looking around the clearing.

"No, but he does tend to do this every once in a while." 

Will couldn't tell if she was just saying that to comfort him or if this was an actual habit of Dipper's that he hadn't really experienced as often himself until now. By the surrendered look on the female alpha's face, he decided not to push the subject. 

She yawned softly, covering her mouth with a closed fist before she shook her head. 

"It's fine. He'll come home when he's ready." 

"H-Have you been out all this time?"

"Yeah, but I had a few things I needed to do anyway." 

He waited for her to elaborate, but she just started walking past him. Somehow, that didn't surprise him in the slightest. This family was all about their secrets and it bothered him greatly. 

"Where would he go?" Will tried as he slowly followed the Gleeful twin.

"He could be anywhere by now." Mabel stopped, thinking something over before she turned to look at him. "Are you trying to find him to apologize?"

"You...heard us earlier?" Will cringed. 

"Neither of you were exactly quiet with your growling and yelling."

Will's gaze fell to the floor. Well, that was just wonderful. He wondered if Stanford had heard what he'd said about him, too. Burning embarrassment weighed in his stomach as he swallowed his pride.

"Y-Yeah, I want to apologize to him." 

"It's not your fault." Mabel stopped him from continuing, earning a surprised look. "Look, I know this isn't easy. For either of you."

Will watched her tuck some strands of loose hair behind her ear before she continued. 

"I don't know how much Dipper told you about our parents, but he has a lot of issues surrounding our childhood." Mabel paused, thinking her words over. "He's always feared that you would think he was a monster, like our parents did when we were kids." 

Will's heart clenched. Mabel turned to look at him with a softer expression.

"I know he's a lot to handle. Trust me, I know." Mabel gave him a sympathetic smile. "But he really does love you. He tells me all the time. And, as silly as it may seem at this point, he cares a lot about how you think of him." 

Will thought back to the hurt expression on the alpha's face before things had gone south. The way Dipper tried to hold his hands, the softness to his voice - this was something Dipper had dealt with his whole life. He'd lost his parents to something he couldn't control. Will hadn't lost his family - sure, they didn't know the truth, but he hadn't lost his family as a child over it. 

He couldn't even imagine what Dipper had felt dealing with this as a young pup. 

"Just give him time." Mabel closed the distance between them and rested a soft hand on his shoulder. Will blinked and looked back at her. "He always comes back home." 

Will's body slouched as he nodded. 

"Th-Thank you...Mabel." 

"I know that none of this has been easy for you. From moving to a new place to dealing with...well, all of this," Mabel gestured to the air around them, "but if you need someone to talk to, really, I'm here for you. I know we haven't talked much, but you really are like a second brother to me." 

Will's eyes widened at her words as he let himself offer a relieved smile. That let a small load off his shoulders. 

"I...I really appreciate it."

"Anytime." The female alpha rumbled softly before gesturing for Will to walk with her back home. 

They walked for a little bit, with Will mulling over Mabel's words and Mabel silently making her way down the trail beside him. 

"Have you talked to your parents yet?" 

"No." Will frowned. "I'm...n-not sure what to say to them." 

Mabel nodded in quiet understanding. She sighed before shaking her head. 

"My brother didn't handle that conversation like he should have." She admitted. "He never does well with these kinds of things, really."

She sighed absently and it was clear she was thinking back to other situations her brother had handled poorly. A part of Will wished he had the same experience with his alpha that she had. Admittedly, even the extended time they had before they mated didn't feel like enough - and it was far more time than most omegas even got before they were mated to their alphas. 

"None of this feels real, right?"

Will let out a soft snort and he could see Mabel smile beside him. 

"I know. It took me years to be able to fully grasp it. Dipper used to literally set things on fire when he was a pup." 

Will turned to her with raised eyebrows and she laughed softly, nodding to emphasize her point. 

"If you think his little tantrums are bad now, you would be hard-pressed to think he was even sound as a pup. One time, he literally made one of my toys disappear into another dimension - or so had Stanford hypothesized." 

"W-What?" Will could see the female alpha smile widely at the memory.

"He was upset with me because we were fighting over something silly - I think I told him I was taller than him and he demanded me to say he was the taller twin, so we got into a bit of a fight and he couldn't help himself." Mabel shook her head with a grin. "I never saw that doll again, but he really was a bit of a brat when we were kids. I didn't truly know why until we grew up and...well, I finally realized only about half of the things he'd been going through at the time. I'm surprised he wasn't worse, really."

They walked a little in silence after that, with Will thinking over Mabel's words. A part of him was grateful the parents were no longer in the twins' lives - they seemed absolutely terrible. Mabel hummed next to him. 

"It won't feel real." Will turned to look at her as they walked down the path. "Especially with you, I know what he told you last night probably feels pretty far-fetched." Will nodded. "But at least you have Dipper to help you. He didn't have anyone until Stanford finally figured out enough to partially help him through the years." 

"W-What about his friend?" Will thought back to his dream. 

"Oh, you mean Bill?" Mabel's eyebrows rose. "I'm surprised he told you about him. He was just an imaginary friend Dipper had when we were little - though, he insists he was real to even this day."

Will bit his inner cheek. He had been real...right? Or was that just a dream to him, too? 

"Just have patience with him and with yourself. It's going to be tough, but we're all going to be here for you." Mabel rested a hand on his shoulder again with a small smile. Will found he really liked that and wondered if she used the same gesture to calm Dipper. 

"I-I appreciate it." Will wished he could understand all of this better. He looked down at his hands. Does this mean he could do the same things Dipper did? And what had happened to him? Did that memory of his...had that been real? He felt Mabel's hand disappear from his shoulder before he turned to her. 

"If I were you, I'd talk to Stanford." 

Will made a face somewhere between a growl and a grimace, earning a soft laugh from the alpha. 

"I know you don't like him, but if you want to understand what's going on here a bit better, you're going to want to talk to him. He's the one who helped Dipper with his own issues."

Will wrinkled his nose. That man was the last person he wanted to be near right now, especially with his alpha being at large. Giving up on looking for him didn't seem to settle well with him despite Mabel's experienced suggestion to wait. 

"W-Where does Dipper go w-when things like this happen?" 

Mabel looked amused at his blatant dismissal of her advice. Somehow, he thinks she expected it completely. 

"I'd check either the library or the multi-bear's cave. I'm thinking, right now, your best bet will be the library." 

"This late at night?"

"It's a 24-hour library."

Will rose an eyebrow at her. Not even the deep-city library stayed open with those kinds of hours. Mabel rolled her eyes with a soft chuckle.

"This town isn't like the city, Will. You're going to have to realize that eventually." 

Will nodded before freezing. Wait, where even was the library? Was that in town? He didn't really remember seeing it when they'd gone last time. Mabel snorted quietly next to him. 

"I'll take you. There's someone I needed to see who might be there, anyway." 

Will nodded gratefully. He just needed to take this one step at a time. 

When they finally reached the library at the edge of town, it was a large, towering building that seemed to loom over them. Will felt fear claw at his heart before he followed Mabel inside. 

Thankfully, the insides were far more welcoming than the outside. It was warm, filled with soft lights among the quiet air in the unbelievably large room. Books were stacked to the high ceilings of several floors, leading Will to believe he'd never be able to find Dipper in a place this large. Mabel gestured for him to go in.

"I'll wait outside for you two." 

He wanted to stop her, but he had a feeling it would be better if he did this alone. He nodded once before walking further inside, glancing around the wide room. He couldn't smell his mate among the richness of faded book pages in the air. If Dipper really was in here, he could definitely see why. It was oddly calming. 

He walked carefully, eyeing the old librarian in the very back corner of the room who looked more vampire than an actual human. They made eye contact once before he quickly looked away. The chills down his spine left him to walk faster through the room. 

He'd made it to the third floor before he finally found the familiar fluffy brown hair he'd grown accustomed to seeing. Dipper was in a corner, a stack of books resting beside him as he stretched himself on his toes to reach a book on a higher shelf. Will could see his clothes reach up with him, exposing the slightest bit of skin of his lower back. He could feel his mate mark heat against his skin before Dipper froze and slowly turned around. 

Cold eyes met his before Dipper narrowed his eyes and glared at him. Will bit into the inside of his lower lip before he walked forward, feeling each step weigh heavier and heavier. The alpha narrowed his eyes further, clearly bristling as Will stopped in front of him. Dipper glanced around, baring his fangs slightly in annoyance. It had been a long time since Dipper had acted this way toward him. 

"Where is she?" Dipper whispered harshly. 

"She's outside." Will answered softly before he shifted his weight to his other foot. "C-C-Can we talk?" 

The alpha stiffened before looking him over suspiciously. It was clear Dipper didn't trust whatever was to come, but a single nod was all Will needed to know the alpha would at least listen. Will gestured for them to sit down on the floor beside Dipper's hoard of books. The alpha obliged, seating himself first as he watched Will carefully. The omega sat in front of him, scooting close enough for their knees to almost touch. Dipper ensured the space between them. 

"I...um..." Will sighed. The silence of the room made his ears ring. "I-I-I'm sorry." 

Dipper stared at him then, eyes still narrowed as he looked Will over. Will could still hear Mabel's words echo in his mind before he continued.

"I don't th-th-think you're a monster." Will picked at his hands anxiously. "I w-w-would never." 

Dipper slowly relaxed, from what Will could see. It was odd to see the alpha so stiff and distant, even if he was relaxing only slightly. It only continued to remind Will of when they first met. 

"I'm sorry this happened to you." 

Will looked at the alpha wearily. He hadn't realized how tired Dipper looked until they were under the soft light of the library. This whole ordeal hadn't just been hard for him. 

"If it had been any other alpha, maybe you would have been happy." Dipper's words were calm, but the sting behind them burned Will's insides. 

"I-I am...happy." 

Dipper gave him a look that made it known he saw through the lie. The omega frowned and looked down at the piled books around Dipper. 

"M-Maybe...well, maybe not...entirely, but..." Will glanced at a blue book sitting next to Dipper. "I would like to be. With you." 

"You're never going to be happy with me, Will." 

Will looked at Dipper sadly. Soft eyes stared back at him, full of a deep pain that Will hadn't understood until now. Dipper looked between his eyes. 

"I'm not going to lie to you. This isn't going to get easier. I can't promise you'll ever be happy with me as your alpha. More and more events might happen; trouble will always find me." The alpha leaned back against the bookshelf, a defeated frown stretching across his lips. "You're better off going and getting the mark dissolved while you still have the chance." 

Will stared at Dipper in shock. He thought back to the small moments they shared, of watching Dipper perform magic beyond anyone's comprehension, of late night walks, of their first kiss, of even the night they shared before things had gone downhill. He had been happy with Dipper. Maybe things hadn't started off right, maybe they'd faced more obstacles than either had expected, but Will did love Dipper. 

He loved the alpha - his alpha. 

"I think you should go back home to the city, Will." 

Will's ears were ringing at Dipper's shaky words. He was sure time had stopped in that moment, among the silence of the empty library and the soft hum of lights above them. 

And then he shook his head. 

Dipper stared at him as he narrowed his eyes at the boy. 

"No." 

"No?" 

"No." Will stated sternly. "No, I-I'm not going back." 

"Will -"

"Dipper." Will warned, watching the alpha state back at him with a frown. "I've been through a lot since I got here." 

Dipper looked guilty before Will sat up, carefully closing the gap between them, to Dipper's surprise. 

"I had to move out of the city to a strange town in the m-middle of nowhere. The alpha I had been promised to has the ability to use actual magic. The f-f-forest is filled with creatures that aren't even supposed to be real." Will breathed. "Your family is downright t-terrifying. Y-Your house is a literal manor - something I'd only seen in books as a pup." Will rested his hands on Dipper's knees. "Everything I've ever known about my life has been fake. My f-first time mating was an absolute d-disaster and we both almost died. But you know what?" 

Will leaned in, stare unwavering as Dipper watched him carefully.

"I love you d-despite all of it." Will leaned in, just enough to feel Dipper's breathing against his own. His cheeks were warm as Dipper's eyes flickered between his mouth and his eyes. That made his heart flutter. "Y-You're a pain in my ass. Yeah, I f-finally said it. You've been downright difficult since the day we first met and I-I'm in love you anyway." 

Dipper's eyes were fiery as Will felt the alpha shift his legs to give Will more room to scoot forward. He propped his hands against the floor next to Dipper's sides. 

"I-I can't imagine doing this - going through all of this - with anyone but you."

Will leaned in, kissing the alpha softly. His eyes fluttered shut as he let the comforting scent of the alpha overtake his senses. The warmth that rested heavy in his belly made him shudder when Dipper kissed him back just as tenderly. 

He wanted to hate Dipper. He wanted to hate every single aspect of what the alpha had done to his once-simple life. And maybe it would seem easier to do so, but Will was tired of it. For just now, he was tired of conspiracy theories and secrets and mysteries, just purring softly against the boy he'd come to fall for despite it all. 

Will pulled back, eyes half-lidded as Dipper slowly opened his own to look back at him. 

"We're going to get through this. T-Together." 

Dipper smiles back at him. 

"Yeah. We are." 

Will smiled at the alpha in front of him. 

\--

The multibear's ears swiveled as he listened to the silent night air. He couldn't quite pin the oddity he'd been picking up on since that omega's entrance into town, but he felt he'd finally gotten closer to whatever was acting as a shadow over the town. He pawed deeper into the woods, each head glancing around the thick forest brush as he listened carefully. 

A quiet step forced his attention in front of him before he met glowing eyes in the far distance. He froze in place, watching wide antlers stretch out in the shadows of the forest. He grit his teeth as it stared back at him with a wide smile that could easily be seen despite the distance between them. He growled a low, guttural word that made the creature's smile widen across its face. 

"Shapeshifter."


	26. An Angel of Death

Dipper could feel it – could feel something press against his magic. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but he knew there was something terribly wrong about it. He wanted to ignore it in favor of the moment he and his mate were sharing as they held hands and slowly made their way home, but the feeling only grew worse the closer they neared the manor. He licked his lips, feeling Will squeeze his hand curiously, but by the time they reached the front of the manor, that feeling had grown into a full-blown panic, worsening only with the sight of a silhouette by the door of the manor. 

Will froze at the sight alongside Dipper, which confused the alpha, but his hold on Will’s hand tightened. He stalked forward, eyes hard as the being turned, giving him a weary smile. Dipper could only frown as he dragged his cautious mate behind him. 

“McGucket?” Dipper asked curiously.

The elder’s weary smile had dissipated into a frown as hesitant eyes left Dipper’s to look at the forest surrounding them. 

“I’m afraid, dear Mason, that the time has come.” And then McGucket's eyes went wide, mouth slightly agape as he turned to Will. The omega looked mildly uncomfortable at this as the elder man slowly walked forward and grabbed his hand, holding it warmly in his own with a smile of recognition. 

"You...you really did survive." 

Will looked at Dipper before it had dawned on him who this was. McGucket, the man that Dipper had stated tried to save his life. He placed a hand over the man's, hoping his gratefulness could be seen. 

"It's...it's an absolute pleasure meeting you, sir." Will could see the fond smile in the man's cloudy eyes before McGucket's smile faded slightly. 

"I wish...we were meeting again in less unfortunate happenstances." McGucket turned to Dipper with a silent sign that made the alpha nod. 

Will had looked at him then, eyes full of questions, but Dipper only nodded. He turned to his mate, squeezed his hand and smiled softly.

“Darling, I need you to go inside.”

“What? Why?”

“Please, just do it.” Dipper looked at him sternly. “I need you to contact Mabel and make sure she gets home immediately.”

“Dipper, what’s going on?” Will pressed.

“I’m afraid we don’t have much time.” McGucket’s voice was apologetic, as if promising answers at a later time, but Dipper’s behavior put the omega on edge. 

“Dipper?”

“Fine." Dipper clenched his jaw as he turned to McGucket, who seemed less than pleased with his allowance of the omega staying to hear what he had to say. Will could understand, if only slightly, but his own mind was reeling with questions. He wanted to know everything about the man - what had compelled him to be so kind to him? What did he know about Will? About his magic? But he could feel the stiffness in Dipper's hand and could almost smell the fear from the elder, which only pressed his want to stay further. 

He refused to be in the dark about anything in this town any longer. 

The alpha felt fear squeeze his stomach as he turned to McGucket. The elder looked tired, even more tired than the last time he’d seen him before Will had arrived in his life. His glasses looked broken and he had bandages covering his face and neck. His beard was scraggly and his eyes were cloudy in a way that made Dipper wonder if his sight had been going bad again. 

“Multibear is missing.” McGucket’s voice is quiet as he glanced at Will questioningly, as if gaging whether Will knew the name or not. “The animals are saying he had been seen with the very creature you think had been summoned.”

“With the deer blood?”

McGucket nods before licking his lips and turning to look at the forest hesitantly. Will's eyebrows furrowed as he turned to Dipper. The alpha had failed to mention anything about that before, but Dipper didn't look at him. He wanted to ask, but something told him to remain silent. 

“I think it has something to do with the anti-gravity areas that have been found among the forest lately, as well. I’ve also found some other…rather strange occurrences while researching these areas and…” McGucket chewed his lower lip for a moment before continuing quietly. “I had originally thought it might be the arrival of you, my child," Will watched as McGucket frowned in remorse, "that perhaps your arrival had triggered something, but I think you might have…possibly triggered something far worse.”

“What do you mean? Will hasn’t done anything.” Dipper’s voice turned defensive as McGucket raised his hands for a chance to explain. Will watched the elder's hands shakily move to tug at his messy shirt, as if by a nervous habit, before his eyes continued to flash back and forth along the forest wall. 

“I’m not accusing him of anything that he could consciously control. I will say, however, that since his arrival, I think his magic may have been a catalyst for something very terrible. I’ve talked to Stanford about what happened that night the both of your magic abilities clashed – you can’t think that’s some sort of strange coincidence – that nothing would come of that.”

“And what would come of it, McGucket? There's no way something could-" Dipper felt a chill run down his spine before a crunching noise forced the three of them to freeze. 

They turned, slowly, until a twisted creature in the distance stared back at them. Dipper's breath hitched as the creature stepped forward in the moonlight, a slow step that only made the strange smile it held widen. Its face was almost disgustingly human-like, despite a deer-like nose. Red scars covered its face and midnight-black antlers stretched out of the sides of its face, sharp and threatening in a way that made Dipper nauseous. Its body was that of a deer with bear paws for its front feet and bird-like feet for its hind legs. Its tail was like that of a snake, twitching and rattling as its smile revealed freakishly sharp canine-like teeth. Dipper could smell its foul stench - an ungodly mixture of rotting flesh, omega and alpha pheromones in a horrendous mixture, and disease wafted off the creature. 

"D-D-Dipper, what is that?" Will whispered in horrified fear. 

"My child," McGucket swallowed thickly. "That creature...was once a guardian of the forest." 

The creature tilted its head as it took another step forward. Will glanced down, eyebrows furrowed in fear as the very plants under its feet seemed to wilt and die, leaving nothing but charred death in its wake. Its eyes were wide and unblinking as it seemed to stare at all of them. 

"W-What...what is it now...?" 

"An angel of death." Dipper turned to Will quickly. "Darling, get inside. Now." 

"Dipper-"

"I said now!" The alpha growled before they heard the thumping of feet charging toward them.

Dipper turned and gasped before running forward, slamming his hand into the ground. The rocks below him surfaced before a path of rocks suddenly forced the creature back, throwing it onto its side. Its neck twisted and rose, so its face was still level to look at them with its wide grin. 

"Now, Will!" Dipper hissed as Will's entire body froze. 

"You do not need to run." A voice called in his head. That same voice had called to him before. He looked at the creature then, realizing it was staring right at him. 

"You-"

"I know who you are." The creature's mouth was unmoving, but the voice continued to speak to him internally, echoing with each word in progressive volume. "William Cipher, blood-child of the demon god."

"Demon...god...?"

"Will?" Dipper looked at him, eyebrows furrowed when the creature hadn't moved. He followed its gaze to his mate, who was staring back with unwavering attention. "Babe? Babe!" 

Will turned when Dipper shook him, focus breaking for a moment to see his alpha's worried expression. The creature moved, slowly lifting itself from the ground as it continued to watch them with its wide grin. 

"Dipper I...I know that voice..." 

"What?" Dipper's heart stopped. "Darling, no, no you don't. You don't know that voice. Sweetheart, listen to me, that voice is lying to you. Whatever it is saying to you, it's lying." 

"You want to know the truth, don't you? Want to know what happened when you were a pup? Where hey truly got the blood from? About what they really did to you?" The voice called out. "Leave him. Follow me. I'll tell you everything you want to know." 

"Will! Don't listen to him, please, baby, whatever it's saying, it's a lie." 

"Where...where did he get the blood from?" Will turned to look at McGucket now, who him with horror in his eyes. 

"My child, if you continue going down this path, you won't return in one piece." McGucket seemed eerily calm, his voice even as he grimaced. "That blood may have saved your life back then, but it will not be so merciful this time around." 

"What are you talking about?" Dipper hissed at McGucket, watching the man stare at the omega with a stern frown. He turned to Will, who seemed to be in a trance of sorts. "Will, that is the shapeshifter I told you about before. Remember? The multibear had taken over as guardian of the forest, remember? It's evil, its soul was devoured by darkness and whatever it's telling you, it's a lie." 

"The cave." Will repeated silently. 

Dipper looked to McGucket for help before he watched the creature giggle, its body shaking with each terrifying snort before it scurried back into the forest, its body moving in double-jointed nightmarish movements back into the shadows of the woods, as if nothing had happened. Dipper's entire body felt a chill as Will continued to stare into the forest, unmoving. 

"McGucket, where did that thing go?"

"We need to tell Stanford immediately." McGucket charged through the manor door, shouting back orders to Dipper. "Grab him. We need to tie him down." 

"Tie him down? Why do we need to tie him down?" 

"Because it's been communicating with him this whole time." McGucket's eyes were hard as Dipper grabbed his mate and forced him inside, following the older man into the basement. 

"I'm not tying my mate up. Will isn't some animal, McGucket." Dipper growled in Will's distant attention. 

Will didn't put up any fight, continuing to follow his alpha's pull in a daze as the voice disappeared from his mind. He could hear Dipper and the elder arguing as he followed easily, mind lost in deep thought. 

That creature - he'd seen it when he first came to Ursidae Falls in the woods. He'd thought it was a large deer and, in a way, it had been. But the image of its face burned itself in his mind, making his stomach churn. And what did he mean - blood-child of a demon god? Was that the clue of where he's gotten the blood from all that time ago? Did that have something to do with that strange man in his dream when he'd almost died that night? 

He suddenly felt Dipper lift him, seating him on the familiar cold table that he'd woken up in earlier that evening. He didn't want to be here again, but his mind was still reeling. He held onto Dipper's hand, using it as an anchor. The alpha turned and looked at him, concern clouding his features as Dipper covered his hands with one of his own. 

"It's going to be okay, darling."

"Dipper." Will felt tears begin to blur his vision. The weight of what he'd just seen and what had been going on since he'd arrived clawed at his stomach, making him nauseous and so very tired. "Jesus, Dipper, I'm scared." 

"Oh, darling." The alpha rumbled comfortingly, though it was clear Dipper was no less terrified. He climbed into the table next to Will, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and hugged him close. "I'm here. I promise, I'll protect you." 

Will let the alpha's warmth engulf him, but the weight in his gut told him Dipper wouldn't do much protecting - not against what he'd been told, nor against whatever was against them. He just let Dipper hold him, allowing the small, quiet moment of McGucket leaving them to find Stanford, to allow him to hold onto the alpha in silence. 

He just wanted a normal night with his alpha. 

But Dipper had assured him that night would never come. It made him wish he hadn't taken for granted the nights before, of them in different beds, awkward silence resting between them as they tried to speak to each other in the woods on their daily walks. Now, he wondered if this would last between them - or if fate would continue trying to tear them apart. 

He decided he'd rather go down with a fight than let anyone - or anything - take his alpha from him. 

Will wrapped his arms around Dipper's shoulders and hugged him then. 

"We're going to make it through this." Will whispered quietly. 

"Yeah." Dipper sighed in a quiet relief. "Yeah, we are." 

Will pulled back slightly, his heart still racing from the fear and his stomach nauseous from the sight of the creature, before he leaned forward to gently kiss the alpha. Dipper presses back just as softly, seeming to relax as well, if only slightly. 

When Dipper pulls away, he looks at Will with a gentle expression that makes him look far more exhausted. Will just smiles back, knowing he must look just as exhausted. 

"We need to talk." Dipper's eyes flicker down to Will's knees. "You've been keeping things from me too, haven't you?" 

Will swallows before nodding. 

"I need to tell you...what's been happening since I came here." Will looks at the door then, hesitant. "But I don't know...if I want to tell Stanford as well."

"Then just tell me for now." Dipper's hand is on his waist, rubbing circles against his rib cage. "We'll figure out what to do from there." 

"Okay." Will nods and then he starts from the very beginning. 

\--

"McGucket?"

"Stanford, you didn't tell me the boy was communicating with the shapeshifter." 

Stanford turned to McGucket with a grimace.

"I'm afraid there's even more to it than just that." 

McGucket narrowed his eyes.

"The shapeshifter was just outside, Stanford. Do you know how close we were to death?" 

"We're all even closer to death than just the shapeshifter being at our doorstep."

"What do you mean?"

"He's back." Stanford watched McGucket's jaw clench. "And he's here for the boy." 

McGucket stared back at him in horror. 

"You're telling me the shapeshifter is working for...for Him?" McGucket paled. "Oh, dear god." 

"Unfortunately," Stanford frowned, "I don't think God is here for us anymore."


	27. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, I’m so sorry for the very delayed chapter! School and work have been truly taking up any and all free time I have, and I wrote and beta’d a good chunk of this chapter in the back of an ambulance (I’m a paramedic student, not a patient, I promise!). 
> 
> This is a dark chapter, I will warn everyone now! I do plan on the next few chapters going a bit dark, but as promised, there is a happy ending to this story. I truly thank everyone for sticking with me despite the irregular chapter updates and I want to thank every one of you for reading and commenting and kudo-ing my fics. I may not always be able to reply to your wonderful comments, but they mean so much to me when I read them. 
> 
> Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Will tightened his grip in Dipper’s hand as they slowly made their way into the forest once more. The tension between them was palpable, knowing full well that the danger ahead was far more terrifying than either had ever encountered in their entire lives. The only way Will could keep himself grounded was to focus on his footsteps alongside Dipper’s and the tight warmth of the alpha’s fingers intertwined with his own. He squeezed the other’s hand again, feeling the alpha squeeze back in silent reassurance. Will could smell the ounce of fear in the alpha’s scent, but it remained subtle against the boy’s determination to continue forward. 

Will could feel the the ongoing pounding of his heart in his ribcage, threatening to jump right out of his chest. 

He’d told Dipper about everything - everything he could remember and think to tell. He told him about the strange voices that whispered to him, the dream of the man with the single golden eye, the deer - that now, as he’d come to realize, was actually an ungodly creature - at night by his window. In turn, Dipper did his best to relay anything he knew back for Will that he’d known of Stanford’s work, of the forest st night, of any information he knew at all, but it had all been everything the omega had already known. It had come to Will then, in the face of a creature so grotesque, that they were in far worse danger than either of them could handle, even with their magic abilities. 

They needed to find the multibear - be it in death or in hopeful survival. He was the guardian and he was a creature they could trust. The beast was older than both of them combined and knew far more about this creature than they did. He was their best chance of survival. 

Will strained his ears in the darkness of the forest, praying to anyone who would listen that they’d survive through the eerie night. A part of him then wished he hadn’t taken Dipper, and an even larger part of him wished he’d overcome his hatred of Stanford and allowed Dipper to speak with him before they’d left for this mission. But something had pulled him against it, his extreme distrust of the elder leading him to leave the safety of their home to find the truth. 

A truth Will wasn’t entirely sure he was ready to witness. 

He was forced to stop then, his hand jerking him back without warning. He looked back, ears ringing as Dipper froze, eyes hard and breath caught. Will followed his gaze slowly before almost yelping in surprise, his voice catching in his throat as Dipper’s hand clasped over his mouth quietly. 

Dipper quickly and quietly dragged him away, forcing him behind a tree as his hand remained on Will’s mouth to silence him. Eyes on eyes, Dipper shushed him quietly before removing his hand. Will felt nauseous once more, clenching his jaw shut tightly as the alpha leaned past him to look at the creature curled and shifted behind them. In its jaw and hands, a thick coating of blood that by no means left either the alpha nor the omega in a settled feeling of their search. 

Will thought he would faint at the sound of crunching and the snapping of fresh bone. 

Dipper squeezed his hand before forcing him out after he’d barely collected himself. They stepped slowly and carefully, avoiding anything that could draw the creature’s attention. Will looked once more, nearly sighing in relief when the body of a deer had collapsed by the creature’s body - and not of a multi-headed bear. When it began to shift, Dipper again shoved Will behind a tree and pressed against him, straining his hearing as the sounds of claws digging into dirt filled the suddenly still air. 

A heavy, beastly exhale left both boys trembling as clawed footsteps slowly thumped closer. Dipper’s eyes met Will’s in a silent horror, quiet promises communicated between them before the air went silent once more. Dipper pressed against Will, forcing him against the tree in a last-ditch protection. The omega bit back a whimper, fear paralyzing him as he focused on the alpha’s weight against him. 

And then the creature was walking away from them, slithering in its strange movements against the trees. Dipper swallowed thickly and leaned to the side, ensuring it was safe before letting out an unsteady breath. 

“Oh god.” 

Will could only tremble, closing his eyes. Panic had settled in his chest, leaving him to force nausea down as the world began spinning around him. 

“I-I-I think we need to turn back.” Will stated softly before opening his eyes. “I...I-I don’t want anything t-to happen to you.”

“As if that beast wouldn’t do something to you as well?” Dipper quickly bit back. “Who knows what would happen if you went out here by yourself.” 

“I think he’d spare me.” Will looked down at his raised hands, shaking midair. “I think it’s trying to...to take me somewhere.” 

“What do you mean?”

“The cave.” Will says quietly at first, as if realizing something that had been right before their eyes the entire time. “The cave! Dipper-“

The sound of high-pitched teetering forced them both to freeze, the feeling of time halting caused both of them to glance at each other only once in paralyzed fear. When they finally slowly turn, the creature teetered once more, teasing them as its head jerked to the side in an unnatural state. 

“Will! Run!” Dipper suddenly shouts before grabbing the omega’s hand and darting a different direction. Will struggled to run alongside the alpha, feeling fear stab into his gut as he glanced back to see the creature bouncing off tree trunks, its claws leaving deep marks into their bark as the trees lean against its weight. He gasped and panted, running faster to keep up with his mate as they continued through the woods. It wasn’t until the creature suddenly tackled both of them from the side that they’re suddenly separated. 

“Dipper!” Will yelped when they hit the ground. Will’s voice cracks as he tries to claw his way back to standing, watching his mate growl and snarl at the creature attempting to hold the alpha down. The sounds of his alpha’s aggression leave him stiff, watching in shock as Dipper bares his sharp fangs at the ungodly beast. A large talon scratches Dipper’s face, forcing a loud scream from the alpha as the creature suffocates him, forcing him on the ground away from Will. Dipper presses a hand against his face and another against the creature’s torso as he turns to see Will still watching on in horror. 

“Will, goddamnit! Run!” Dipper snarls at him. “Now!” 

“Dipper - I can’t -“

“The cave! Go there!” The alpha screeches as he forces the creature off with a strong kick to the beast’s torso. It stumbles back for a moment, giving Will the horrid sight of seeing bright red blood stream down his mate’s face. The bitter tang in the alpha’s scent makes Will’s stomach flop, triggering his body to want to move forward to help his mate. Dipper turns to him then, fangs bared and one eye squinted shut. Will meets the glowing cyan eye of his mate - stark and menacing against the darkness of the shadowed forest - before the alpha’s hands are glowing with the blue flames Will had seen once before.

“D-Dipper-“

“I said go, Omega!” 

The alpha command has Will running before his mind can register his body’s scrambling movements. He doesn’t know where he’s going - but he runs so fast that each stomp of his foot against the ground sends a jolt of pain up his legs. He doesn’t dare glance back, hearing more growling and hissing fade into the distance. Tears blur his vision as he begins to recognize his surroundings. 

He makes a sharp turn after some indeterminable amount of time and realizes he’s suddenly there. 

The cave. 

The wind pulls him in, pushing against his back as he stares at the entrance in fear. He swallows hard and quickly makes his way inside. His chest is tight, nausea threatening to claw its way up his throat as loud, unintelligible whisperings slowly begin to deafen his hearing the deeper he goes. He pushes forward into darkness, teeth grit hard as he stumbles deeper into the cavernous mouth, the low light of the entrance slowly fading behind him. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for - if he’s looking for anything at all - but he prays he hasn’t made a mistake in coming. 

And suddenly, unexpectedly, he’s waking up. 

He blinks against the soft light - eyes squinting as he breathes. He doesn’t remember falling asleep, nor does he remember being in a soft light. He just knows the area is quiet and the light is warm against his skin. For a quiet moment, he believes it was all a dream. 

And then hears a man chuckle quietly somewhere in front of him. He recognizes the voice quickly. 

“Hello again, William.” 

Will’s eyes adjust slightly, allowing him to realize he’s back home once he’s able to look around. It’s the same bedroom he’d grown up in - in the same place he’d met this man once before. He’s in that same dapper suit, looking oddly smug as he sits on Will’s bed across from him. His legs are crossed in fitting slacks with his cane propped in front of him and he’s smiling that same strangely mischievous smile. 

“You seem quite frazzled.” 

“Where am I?” Will groans, his throat dry as he attempts to wake up from his strange grogginess. “Where’s D-Dipper?”

“He’s fine.” The man’s smile falters only slightly, leaving Will unable to believe that his mate’s safety was actually assured. He doesn’t like the way the man’s single golden eye narrows slightly, only pushing his belief further that he shouldn’t trust the man. 

Will swallows against that dry throat, glancing around the familiar room once more. His entire body aches and his lungs feel overwhelmed. He can’t smell his mate anywhere and he doesn’t remember losing consciousness at any point during his trek through the cave. Panic settles in his heart as he turns back to the man. He knows none of that had been a dream. 

“William, sit down. Relax.” 

“Where am I?” The omega repeats a little more firmly, his lack of patience in playing this game quickly wearing down on him. 

“You’re home.” The man grins a wide, playful smile. “Obviously.” 

“How d-did I get here?”

“The same way you always get here nowadays - you’re dreaming.”

“I didn’t fall asleep. Not b-by my own devices.” Will narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “And why a-are you here? Who are you?” 

The man stands then, smile only widening further as he pulls his cane with him. 

“I’m the blood donor, William. We’ve had this conversation once before already.” 

“You’re the o-one who saved my life.” Will recaps as the man stares back in amusement. “Why? Why me?” 

“It’s not like I really had much of a choice.” A sarcastic sigh. “But it did turn out to be in my favor, didn’t it?” 

“What d-do you mean?”

The man just grins back at him for a moment before speaking. 

“Aren’t you sick of it? Of being the omega that has to be told what to do?” The man hummed, tilting his head slightly. “Forced into marriage, forced to move to an unknown place, forced to deal with a strange unknown force, forced to deal with the supernatural, forced to deal with all of this. It really is a pity, isn’t it?” 

Will clenched his jaw tight as the man stood, smiling brightly at him. 

“It’s a pity that you allow these despicable alphas to take control over you. You have my powers, but no actual control over them - it’s truly painful to watch.” 

“Dipper d-doesn’t take control over me.” Will defended. “Neither does Mabel. There are good alphas in the s-same way there are bad omegas and betas.” 

“Dipper is...special.” The man’s eye goes distant for a moment as he breaks their eye contact. The look leaves Will unsettled. “He and Mabel would be the only two alphas I’d spare in this godforsaken world.” 

Will watches the man frown, his terrifying smile vanishing, now leaving him seeming far more vulnerable than Will had expected to see. 

“What d-does this have to do with this whole ordeal being in y-your favor?” 

The man was silent for a moment, contemplating something before he leaned forward. 

“Let me tell you something, William.” The man turned to him once more, his golden eye no longer full of mischievous mirth. “You and Dipper’s fated mating was most certainly not by chance.” 

Will remains silent, watching the man push himself off the bed. His cane makes a small clack against the floor as he stands tall, taller than even Will. It leaves the omega defensive, watching the man stare down at him. 

“You are, and always have been, an experiment by a man who was no less bothered by the act of injecting his own flesh and blood with a serum meant to mutate him into an abomination of nature.” 

“W-What are you talking about?” Will’s blood went cold. “You’re...You’re talking about Stanford?” 

“There is a reason you and Dipper were fated to meet, and it certainly wasn’t by a universal intervention.” The man stared into him, but it was no less suffocating than Will’s throat closing. “The night you two mated, that man was already expecting one of you to die. In fact, he was hopeful it would be his own blood and not you.” 

“Why?” Will squeaked out, horror forcing nausea to clench his stomach. 

“Dipper was abandoned by his parents because of what he had become. That boy was not always an alpha.” Will could see gloved hands tighten around the cane. “And far worse, he hadn’t been terminally ill when that man started to ‘treat’ him.” 

Will’s eyes remain on the man towering before him as the information slowly processed, echoing and repeating in his mind in an endless loop. His mind began to race with growing hatred - that feeling of Stanford’s interventions making him angrier he hadn’t confronted the man before. Dipper had trusted this man - had spoken so highly of him, and he doubted Dipper knew the truth. Everything Dipper had said had been about how that elder had saved his life - had taken him in, loved him when his parents had abandoned him. What would happen if he knew the truth? That Stanford had been the reason he was abandoned? That this idol of his was the very reason his life had been so hard? It left Will with a bitter taste in his mouth. 

“A male omega that was forced into an alpha with a serum to change his chemical makeup - he became an abomination. He had grown ill after being given the serum, yes, but his parents did not know that.” 

“When he died,” the man continued, “his blood was transfused with another demon that had been held captive by his great-uncle. He survived, by the grace of that demon, but it’s no surprise to anyone why that alpha has been distant to others. And why he is so attached to you.” 

“I-I don’t - I don’t understand.” Will gulped. 

“I came to teach Dipper everything he now knows about his abilities. His magic is controllable because his mind was finally settled when it was melded with my own.” The man moves his cane to the side. “Which is why you, my dear boy, are so very important to him now.” 

“W-What about me? What h-happened to me that day?” 

“You were dying, that was not a lie.” The man stared down at him. “That naive assistant did save your life, but he was the one who stole my blood to save you. Stanford had simply sat back and watched, keeping note of your condition and the added element to his experiment.” 

“I-I...he...” Will stammered, swallowing thickly. 

“The lab exploded that night, but not because my magic was too overwhelming for you.” The man started walking around him, his shoes clicking against the ground while his cane slowly clicked in a similar rhythm. “A carefully placed bomb killed some of the failed experiments and covered some failed tracks. Somehow, you survived despite this and Stanford certainly did not forget you, nor did he stop tracking your location. If anything, it was just the next step of the process.”

“H-He planned...he planned all of it?” 

“I’m personally glad you survived.” The man’s voice hummed behind him. “I was interested in seeing how your mating would go when it eventually happened and I found it interesting that you both nearly died during the process.” 

“Interesting?” Will growled lowly. He could feel that anger and hatred begin to burn his insides. His blood began to rush, a strange ebbing in his veins that made his mind begin to fade. He doesn’t know why his anger was becoming so...overwhelming. 

“If you were to bear a child, Stanford would certainly have a hay day with your offspring. The child of an omega and an abomination, blessed with magic abilities that could lead to an advanced race.” The man’s voice felt like it was echoing. “The government would certainly be invested, once more, in your lives.” 

Will growled and snapped around, his teeth bared in a rage he had not felt in his entire life. His blood boiled and he couldn’t feel the golden flames encircle him. Will couldn’t feel anything - just the pure anger that clutched his heart. His hands claw into the ground and his teeth feeling sharper - and, his mind slipping completely. The man only smirked back at him. 

“Dipper is not an abomination.” Will hissed, his voice even and dripping with venom. “And any child I bear will not be subject to Stanford Gleeful’s clutches.” 

“Alphas know only of their own selfish desires. This entire town knows the truth. They know of Dipper’s pain. They know of the experiments. They know of you.” The man could see Will’s rage blind him. “I have given you the ability to burn this world to the ground. To start fresh. To overthrow the very men who killed countless omegas just for their own entertainment.”

Will snarled, his consciousness completely faded. The omega before the demon was no longer the Will the world had come to know. The man smirked as his magic drove the boy in front of him into insanity, watching the boy snarl and growl like a deranged and feral alpha. He’d finally won control in a world far beyond Will’s comprehension. The man smiled a fanged grin, his eye glowing in the now-darkness of the omega’s mind. 

“Kill them all, my child.”

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a new chapter every Thursday/Friday!


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